The Ugly Stepsister
Official synopsis: A sinister twist on the classic Cinderella story, The Ugly Stepsister follows Elvira as she prepares to earn the prince’s affection at any cost. In a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business, Elvira will compete with the beautiful and enchanting Agnes to become the belle of the ball.
I miss the old horror movie posters and newspaper ads that boldly proclaimed “NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH!”. If ever a recent slice of fear-fare cinema warranted that tagline, it would be writer/director Emilie Blichfeldt’s 2025 Norway/Denmark/Romania/Poland/Sweden coproduction The Ugly Stepsister (Den stygge stesøsteren). Boasting plenty of flinch-inducing body horror, this jaw-dropping riff on the Cinderella story is also rich with dark humor. Lea Myren gives a fantastic all-in performance as Elvira, a rather naif young woman who dreams of marrying the kingdom’s Prince Julian (Isac Calmroth). When her mother Rebekka’s (Ane Dahl Torp) new marriage to the father of Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) suddenly and quite unexpectedly ends with his death, Agnes is reduced to the Cinderella role and Agnes goes to extreme lengths to make Elvira more attractive so that she will catch the attention of Prince Julian at his upcoming ball. Those lengths are what provide the squirm-inducing elements to The Ugly Stepsister. What’s truly surprising is the fact that this is the feature film debut for both Blichfeldt, who has crafted a work that is a shoe-in for my list of favorite horror films of 2025, and Myren, who gives an absolutely star turn. Loch Næss and Torp are both excellent, and the supporting players all give impressive performances. Marcel Zyskind’s sumptuous cinematography and John Erik Kaada’s wonderful score, and the fantastic work from Special Makeup Effects Artist Thomas Foldberg and Makeup Designer Anne Cathrine Sauerberg all deserve high praise. Fright-fare aficionados of all stripes, put The Ugly Stepsister on your must-see lists!
The Ugly Stepsister photos credit: Marcel Zyskind
Mr. K
Official synopsis: Mr. K, a traveling magician, finds himself in a Kafkaesque nightmare when he can’t find the exit of the hotel he has slept in. His attempts to get out only pull him deeper, entangling him further with the hotel and its curious inhabitants.
Crispin Glover is in fine form in the titular role of Mr. K in this 2025 Netherlands/Norway/Belgium coproduction from writer/director Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab, which comes highly recommended for aficionados of darkly comic, surreal absurdity a la the films of Terry Gilliam, Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro, and Michel Gondry. The characters run the gamut from eccentric to odd to quite bizarre, and the members of the sizable cast all prove up to the task of bringing them to cinematic life, with Glover giving a standout performance with a twist on the “everyman” character. Schwab directs with verve and panache, and cinematographer Frank Griebe captures the proceedings and Erly Brugman’s captivating set designs marvelously. Mr. K offers plenty of unexpected, Kafkaesque surprises and looks gorgeous doing so.
The Ugly Stepsister and Mr. K screen as part of Panic Fest 2025, which took place beginning March 27 with an in-person festival in Kansas City running through April 2 and a virtual version running through April 6. For more information, visit https://panicfilmfest.com/.
