The Ugly Stepsister18

Directed by Emilie Blichfeldt | Norway | 2025 | 1h 45m | Norwegian w/ English subtitles | Starring Lea Myren, Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Ane Dahl Torp, Isac Calmroth, Malte Gårdinger

In a fairy-tale kingdom where beauty is a ruthless currency, Elvira struggles to outshine her impossibly gorgeous stepsister. Desperate to capture the attention of Prince Julian, she’ll go to shocking extremes. This bold reimagining of Cinderella weaves together the dark heart of classic folklore with unsettling body horror, offering a gruesome take on aging, beauty standards, identity, and female autonomy.

Reviews

‘An impressively nasty first feature from Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt, this is a grimmer than Grimm take on Cinderella.’
★★★★
Jacob Oller, The AV Club

 

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Ugly Stepsister between May 9, 2025 and May 15, 2025.

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What else is on?

Tomorrow (Saturday 2nd May)
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14:00

The Metamorphosis PG
2h 40m
Join us in person for a unique screening of ‘The Metamorphosis’, inspired by Kafka’s classic novella. Dive into this surreal story brought to life on the big screen. This event has been arranged by the filmmaker, tickets are on sale via Eventbrite.

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17:30

Father Mother Sister Brother 15
1h 50m
Acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch weaves stories across New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, where siblings reunite amid family tensions and tragedy. Starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, this Golden Lion-winning triptych blends quiet humour with poignant insight.

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20:15

Miroirs No. 3 15
1h 26m | German w/ English subtitles
A young piano student survives a car crash and is taken in by a woman whose intense care turns deeply unsettling. Starring Laura Beer and directed by Christian Petzold, this haunting psychological complex drama probes trauma, memory and hidden pasts.

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Sunday 3rd May
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12:45

How to Train Your Dragon PG
Kino Kids Cinema Club
1h 39m
Kino Kids Cinema Club
Shy Viking Hiccup must face a dragon as a rite of passage but instead befriends one. Together, they challenge fear, fight for peace, and unite humans and dragons in this heartfelt, humorous, and action-packed computer-animated adventure.

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15:00

Man of Iron 12A
2h 32m | Polish w/ English subtitles
Kinoteka On Tour 2026
Blurring fact and fiction, Andrzej Wajda depicts workers’ protests and political awakening in 1980s Poland, as a journalist confronts propaganda, ethics, and social change. Part of Kinoteka On Tour – Polish Film Festival.

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18:15

Miroirs No. 3 15
1h 26m | German w/ English subtitles
A young piano student survives a car crash and is taken in by a woman whose intense care turns deeply unsettling. Starring Laura Beer and directed by Christian Petzold, this haunting psychological complex drama probes trauma, memory and hidden pasts.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

Father Mother Sister Brother 15
1h 50m
Acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch weaves stories across New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, where siblings reunite amid family tensions and tragedy. Starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, this Golden Lion-winning triptych blends quiet humour with poignant insight.

Book here


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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

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