Running Time: 78 Minutes
Starring: Kelly Ryan Sanson, Chrissie Wunna, Lauren Budd, Natasha Tosini, Danielle Scott, Sam Barrett
While ITN Distribution are known for their high output of horror releases, the success of 2023's Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey led the company to find a niche for themselves with features based on public domain properties. As they move forward with their Twisted Childhood Universe, Cinderella's Curse may not be linked to that cinematic universe, yet fits the bill as the company's latest horror take on a fairy tale.
The film opens with a glimpse at the torment endured by Cinderella (Kelly Rian Sanson), who is forced by her stepmother (Danielle Scott) to remain in an enclosed room due to her "sins." The handmaid finds herself abused by her vicious family, as her stepmother and stepsisters (Lauren Budd and Natasha Tosini) relish in such cruelty. When Cinderella discovers an ancient flesh-bound book, she summons her fairy godmother (Chrissie Wunna) to grant the handmaiden's greatest wish; revenge.
Working from a script by Harrison Thomas Boxley, director Louisa Warren takes the reins for a downbeat and grisly take on the classic fairy tale. Constant misery is heaped onto Cinderella, leaving her waking life to feel like an inescapable nightmare orchestrated by a trio of familial tormentors. The film's structure seeks to prolong the suffering, accentuating the classist cruelty so that the bloody vengeance can feel all the more impactful. It is an idea that makes sense in theory, although the execution leaves it resembling a dragged out way to revel in lacking barbarity.
In the titular role, Kelly Ryan Sanson does decent work capturing the character who feels trapped within a dreary life full of mistreatment. When her days are a constant source of misery, it is believable that she would accept the smallest ray of light that shines through, even when she should be wary of her family's vicious duplicity. It is effectively conveyed within the performance so that, when Cinderella's last sliver of hope is torn asunder, she breaks down and wishes for revenge from a Cenobite-esque fairy godmother that is rotting away.
As the story takes on shades of Carrie, The Evil Dead, and Hellraiser, the most promising elements are sighted within the decent practical effects utilized, but these can only go so far. What could have been an interesting twist upon a well-known story instead comes off feeling uninspired, as the revenge tale hammers home the abuse to the point of boredom. As a result, the 78-minute work sadly feels miserable to be in the company of, and leaves one wishing that a fairy godmother could improve the quality.
The most inspired part of a revenge tale can be the methods utilized for the gruesome payback, which leaves it disappointing how often the feature returns to weaponizing the glass slippers. What was a one-time novelty unfortunately becomes a repetitive visual that resembles a hollow way to take the story down horrific avenues, something which can be attributed also to Cinderella's Curse.
Cinderella's Curse made its UK Premiere at Frightfest 2024
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