It all started with Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt envisioning a bloody shoe. “I’ve been working on female characters that are struggling with their bodies through my short films,” she says.

Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt on her reframing the Cinderella story as body horror about the bloody pursuit of beauty.

Emilie Blichfeldt's The Ugly Stepsister twists Cinderella into a bloody horror story about the pain and despair of trying to meet beauty standards.

So halfway through the movie, when she swallows the tapeworm egg, that’s when you really step into the fairy tale. Cinderella becomes Cinderella, and Elvira becomes the wicked stepsister.

This dark spin on the classic lore was the first step of Blichfeldt’s “The Ugly ... wanted to explore the story not from Cinderella’s viewpoint but rather from that of her eternally maligned ...

By Unsie Zuege Calling all princesses!Please arrive between March 18 and 26 to the Chanhassen High School auditorium. Suggested attire is fancy-schmancy ball gowns, tiaras optional. All local ...

Agnes is the Cinderella character here ... have let people like you in,” she scoffs at Elvira, forbidding her new step-sibling from touching her silver brush and other precious things.