9 Horror Movies Based on Fairy Tales to Watch if You Liked 'The Ugly Stepsister'
Estonian myths, bloodthirsty mermaids, and a South Korean take on Hans Christian Andersen – here are the perfect picks for The Ugly Stepsister fans.
This year's unexpected horror hit, The Ugly Stepsister, is a reimagining of Cinderella that received 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A blend of black comedy and horror, it retells the familiar tale of an orphaned girl forced to live with her evil stepmother and stepsisters.
The Ugly Stepsister is one of the most outstanding, but far from the only horror project that reimagines famous and not-so-famous fairy tales. We have recalled nine more similar movies.
1. 'Gretel & Hansel', 2020
Gretel has loved the story of the girl in the pink cap who discovers her witchcraft abilities. Now almost an adult, Gretel and her younger brother, Hansel, find themselves without a home. Their mother kicked them out, deciding that children should take care of themselves.
While wandering through the forest, suffering from hunger, Gretel and Hansel come across a suspicious hut with a table set with food.
In his folk horror, Oz Perkins plays with the viewer from the start, swapping the names of the characters of the classic fairy tale. Perkins reworks the archetypal plot of children encountering a cannibalistic witch into a young woman's coming-of-age story.
2. 'Snow White: A Tale of Terror', 1997
Young Lilli Hoffman immediately dislikes her father's new wife. The stepmother tries to win her stepdaughter's friendship. Everything changes after an unexpected tragic incident.
The movie is undeservedly forgotten since it was created only for TV, but it's definitely worth watching even almost 30 years later. Especially since Sigourney Weaver, the star of the Alien franchise, played the main villain.
3. 'Cinderella's Revenge', 2024
Cinderella is bullied by her evil stepsisters and stepmother. They force her to take off her glass slippers and seek the help of her fairy godmother to get cruel revenge.
Despite its low budget, the movie exceeds expectations with its beautiful sets and convincing acting. Cinderella's Revenge is perfect for fans of The Ugly Stepsister and B-movie horror films.
4. 'Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey', 2023
Christopher Robin leaves Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore behind. While he is away, the animals go crazy, eat the donkey, and turn into bloodthirsty killers.
A few years later, a group of girls stops near the Hundred Acre Wood. The bear and his faithful friend Piglet set out to hunt the uninvited guests.
A. A. Milne's original fairy tale has entered the public domain, so now anyone can film the story in their own way. Blood and Honey is a low-budget slasher movie that is definitely worth watching – it's The Room of the horror genre.
5. 'Red Riding Hood', 2011
Valerie's parents want to marry her off to a blacksmith, but she is in love with a woodcutter. Meanwhile, a werewolf has appeared in the area and is regularly dragging villagers into the dark forest. With the help of a priest, they soon discover that the beast is one of them.
This mystical thriller, based on the well-known fairy tale, was directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the first Twilight. Although the movie received mostly negative reviews, it may appeal to fans of dark fantasy involving monsters and werewolves.
6. 'Tales from the Darkside: The Movie', 1990
Along with The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt, there was another mystical series called Tales from the Darkside on TV in the '80s.
Although it did not gain as much fame as the aforementioned shows, it lasted five seasons and spawned a full-length film.
The movie is based on stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Stephen King, and Lafcadio Hearn and tells the tale of a boy who is captured by a local cannibal and forced to recount three scary stories about a walking mummy, a supernatural cat, and a monster.
7. 'The Red Shoes', 2005
The Red Shoes is a South Korean horror film based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the same name. It tells the story of Sun-jae, a young woman who has recently separated from her husband.
One day, she finds a pair of cursed red shoes at a train station, which brings misfortune to those around her.
8. 'November', 2017
November is based on Andrus Kivirähk's novel, which draws inspiration from folk tales and legends. This modern Estonian fairy tale was included on the list of contenders for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Rainer Sarnet's movie is like a crazy dream, inspired by Gothic stories and images. The story centers on a love triangle in a pagan village. A girl who dreams of marrying a local man is forced to marry a creepy and rude farmer.
9. 'The Lure', 2015
Two mermaid sisters find refuge in a Warsaw cabaret where they are hired as vocalists for a local pop group.
One of the sisters falls in love with the band's bass player. However, love is dangerous for mermaids because if a human ultimately chooses someone else, the mermaid must eat him or turn him into sea foam.
This whimsical and hypnotic reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale has many surprises in store for fans of horror who are tired of the genre's clichés.
