This is a Norwegian film that presents a Cronenbergian Cinderella story. It takes place in the Victorian era where the value of a woman is how beautiful she is and how rich of a man she can attract. The main character, Elvira, is pushed by her mother to become more beautiful by losing her braces, getting barbaric nose surgery, and swallowing a tapeworm egg to lose weight. If Elvira is more desirable, a prince will pick her for marriage and the family’s financial troubles will go away.

The body horror is pretty intense at times. How far will these people go? Too far and yet, kind of effective. It was an interesting take on Cinderella, but ultimately, I think it missed the mark for the second half and then it just kept on going. The synth dream pop soundtrack was great for certain scenes and excessive when it didn’t need to be.

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