SPOILERS FOR THE UGLY STEPSISTER AHEAD
The thing about The Ugly Stepsister that stuck with me the longest (after watching it twice) was the subtle but noticeable way the movie progressively spent more time on each body horror scene than the one before it.
The nose job was shot with relative distance and short duration, helping the viewer quickly push the painful scene to the back of their mind and move to the next scene.
The eyelash scene was much longer and more involved, framing-wise, putting you in Elvira's head (quite literally, given the perspective shot being taken from her eye in an extreme close up), but even then the scene ends soon after the viewer starts to really squirm.
Even the chopping off of her toes does what it can to give the viewer some level of escape by finishing the job with faraway shots that hide the rest of the damage after we get that prolonged shot of the cut toes up close.
Each of these scenes, while brutal and painful and unpleasant to endure even from the safety of our couches, doesn't show us the full extent of what happens. Sure, we get a good look, and we know what else happens after the scene cuts itself short, but we aren't forced to sit through every second. (partially for time, I agree, but I have another point to make, i promise)
There is one scene that doesn't shy away from the full process for even a second, and that is the removal of the tapeworm. That one we get to see in all its disgusting glory, and it's the only scene where the body horror focuses on undoing her painful transformation, instead of furthering it.
The way I interpret this is how easy it can be for us to look away from and ignore/downplay the amount of pain and discomfort we put ourselves through in the name of beauty. How many times have people waved away any concerns with a dismissive "it only hurts for a little bit" or an "it's not that bad" or even an "it's all worth it to look this good"? How many times do the real life damages and risks of all of these practices and procedures get swept under the rug or written off and ignored?
The act of unlearning this belief, however, is something that can't be overlooked. Purging yourself of that lie, of that hunger, is a long and difficult ordeal that feels like it can take forever but will ultimately save you in the end.
Much like Elvira expelling the tapeworm, the steps of expelling such a deeply rooted obsession with beauty is something that isn't over with quickly and cleanly. You can't cut corners or pretend it didn't happen or that it just wasn't that bad, you have to sit through it in its entirety so you can come out the other side free of that parasite. It hurts, it takes time, and it relies on the help and support of unconditional love.
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