Sundance 2025: The Ugly Stepsister and The Dating Game

While The Ugly Stepsister is a completely fictional reimagining of the traditional Cinderella lore, The Dating Game is a documentary about three single men hoping to find their real life Cinderellas. Both serve as shining examples of how diverse Sundance can be, and as it stands, the 2025 edition of the festival definitely has a wealth of innovative filmmaking in its programming.

The Ugly Stepsister

In this twisted retelling of the Cinderella fairytale, Emilie Blichfeldt utilizes modernized undertones and the body horror genre to create a truly unique spectacle. The Ugly Stepsister is a thematic revision of a beloved story that unravels female beauty standards, in what is clearly a counterpoint to the male-gazing lens. With ample gore and dark humour, the film is an exciting foray into genre cinema.

As the film’s titular character, Elvira (Lea Myren) is charged with garnering the attention of the local prince, despite competition from her more traditionally beautiful ‘Cinderella’ stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Naess). As the two attend finishing school, carefully plotting their advances to the sovereign heir, Elvira also delves deeper into physical transformation procedures that prove to be unwise. These events expectedly lead up to a ball, which at the stroke of midnight, carries some unconventional turns that defy the traditional fairytale ending.

Much like Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance – a film that The Ugly Stepsister will naturally be compared to – Blichfeldt evokes a visceral experience that often feels over the top, while also maintaining a realistic, yet satirical, critique on societal expectations. This somewhat blasé approach to reality is fitting for a film that takes aim at traditional fairytale norms. Yet, the story still finds a way to feel grounded, at least thematically speaking. The physical horrors experienced by Elvira might not be entirely realistic, but her emotional woes are firmly fleshed out (sometimes, quite literally).

Not surprisingly, the body horror elements in The Ugly Stepsister are viciously executed, carrying enough shock value that should easily please fans of the genre. Vilde Tuv and Kaada’s score is also spot on as a disjointed counterpoint to the late century setting, which fits perfectly into the film’s beautifully deranged world. The film does suffer from not being a fully realized singular vision, with Blichfeldt likely still having some room to grow as a filmmaker. Perhaps this was intentional, as the film does try to emulate a constant shift in tonality, but likely leans too heavily on this stylistic motif. Elvira’s characterization also fails to have a completely satisfying moment of catharsis, although her strength as a protagonist is perhaps demonstrated by her conviction to the physical challenges forced on her. Despite that, Myren’s stunning performance helps build up a crescendo of emotional (and physical) strength, which does mend most of her character’s narrative shortcomings.

The Ugly Stepsister is gross, yet also vibrant and engrossing, which is everything that a body horror film should be. Its critique of female body standards through a satirical female gaze elevates the film to higher ground. A standout debut from Blichfeldt, and a wondrous way to open up Sundance’s Midnight Section.

The Dating Game

Dating in the modern world can be tough, and in Violet Du Feng’s The Dating Game, we get a soft-touch comedic examination on the subject. The film is an enjoyable watch that dances around nuance, while never fully tackling the woes of modern dating with complete conviction. No matter how well-intentioned Feng might’ve been, it’s hard not to feel like she held back her punches in order to produce a more complacent and accessible film.

The Dating Game starts off by introducing China’s one-child policy, and how its abolishment has still been marred by a vast number of single men, which far outnumbers the country’s available women. Hao, a popular dating coach, is tasked with helping 3 single men better their odds at finding a life mate, all while confronting his own marriage and approach to relationships.

The film is thoroughly enjoyable, but unfortunately faltered by its cursory look into China’s one-child policy, which is odd given that the film opens with a statement outlining said policy. Feng still manages to make interesting observations about modern dating, but doesn’t capitalize on what would’ve made this film such a unique dissertation on the subject. Compared to Nanfu Wang’s One Child Nation (also a Sundance premiere), The Dating Game was obviously designed as a completely different type of film, and with that, a vastly different discourse on societal issues in China. It’s possible that Feng purposefully chose to avoid any political discourse at all, and intended for a narrative that focused solely on the lived realities experienced by society. This works in theory, but it’s hard to get a true sense of these realities without confronting what came before them. Governmental policies might not be at the forefront of how these three single men’s dating experiences, but they’re bound to be on audiences’ minds.

Through effective editing and crafty sound design, The Dating Game carries a tempo that’s charged with energy, with comedic moments that are spaced out appropriately, resulting in a rather playful viewing experience. Some of the film’s more serious moments, however, aren’t fully realized, and could have benefited from scenes that lingered on its subjects a bit longer than what gets presented on screen.

What does linger, is a feeling that The Dating Game had more it could’ve chewed on, but simply chose not to. The appetite for a more divisive, and perhaps critical film certainly exists, but Feng opted for a rather inert approach instead. This does result in a more accessible, albeit less challenging, film, which was perhaps her intention. Either way, it’s hard to argue that there’s a lot more food for thought left on the table.