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

 

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

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Today (Friday 17th April)
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Two Prosecutors 12A
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18:00

The Magic Faraway Tree U
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20:30

Dead Man's Wire 15
1h 46m
In 1977, businessman Tony Kiritsis takes a mortgage broker hostage with a deadly “dead man’s switch,” demanding millions and an apology. Gus Van Sant’s tense, darkly comic thriller brings this bizarre true story to life with Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, and Colman Domingo.

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Tomorrow (Saturday 18th April)
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14:30

The Magic Faraway Tree U
1h 50m
The Thompson children discover a magical tree leading to fantastical lands. Facing quirky inhabitants and wondrous adventures, they reconnect and grow closer. Enid Blyton’s beloved classic comes to life in this enchanting adaptation starring Andrew Garfield, Nicola Coughlan, and Claire Foy.

Book here

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17:00

Dead Man's Wire 15
1h 46m
In 1977, businessman Tony Kiritsis takes a mortgage broker hostage with a deadly “dead man’s switch,” demanding millions and an apology. Gus Van Sant’s tense, darkly comic thriller brings this bizarre true story to life with Bill Skarsgård, Al Pacino, and Colman Domingo.

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20:00

High Fidelity 15
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1h 54m
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Rob Gordon’s Chicago record store struggles as heartbreak drives him to recount his top five breakups. Stephen Frears’ witty, BAFTA-nominated romantic comedy stars John Cusack in a funny, poignant journey through love, music, and reluctant adulthood.

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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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