Netflix’s Cinderella twist Steps is winning over critics — and it’s told from the stepsisters’ side
As Disney gears up for 'Hexed', Netflix has an animated fantasy adventure of its own — and the timing looks cheekily competitive.
Right, let’s get into Steps, Netflix’s latest swing at the animated fairy tale. If you thought the Cinderella story had been squeezed for all it’s worth — well, here comes yet another spin, but with a fair bit more sarcasm and sibling rivalry thrown in for good measure. After years of animated studios either sticking to old stories or lampooning them (cheers, Shrek), this film sits somewhere in the middle, reworking the classic tale from the stepsisters’ side and poking fun at the usual tropes whilst it’s at it.
Netflix’s animated fairy tale ‘Steps’ arrives 20 November 2026.
What’s the Twist This Time?
Rather than focus on the radiant, if slightly anodyne, Cinderella — here voiced by Amanda Seyfried — Steps hands the mic to her overlooked stepsisters: Lilith, played by Ali Wong, and Margot, with Stephanie Hsu behind the voice. Lilith is resentful, fed up with Cinderella’s charmed existence, complete with animal helpers and, of course, the obligatory fairy godmother (delivered by Bette Midler). Margot, meanwhile, finds herself rather transformed — literally — after Lilith nicks the fairy godmother’s wand, triggering a sequence that leaves Margot in amphibian form and Cinderella facing a usurpation at the hands of scheming school queen Priscilla (that’s Nikki Glaser) who sets her sights on the hopelessly oblivious prince (Daniel Radcliffe). Unsurprisingly, Lilith and Cinderella have to join forces to prevent utter disaster.
Voice Cast and Writing
- Ali Wong as Lilith (the unpredictable stepsister)
- Stephanie Hsu as Margot (the amphibian-in-waiting)
- Amanda Seyfried as Cinderella (not just a background saint this time)
- Bette Midler supplying fairy godmother energy
- Nikki Glaser as villainous Priscilla
- Daniel Radcliffe as the truly bewildered prince
- Peter Dinklage (turning up as Priscilla’s butler, and going full ‘dangerously unhinged’ with it)
The film leans heavily on its comedic cast — and to be honest, it shows. Wong and Glaser are pros, and everyone else in the crew has plenty of comic form. The script’s got some chuckle-worthy bits, and the cast actually lands the timing, so for those allergic to cringe-worthy animated filler, it’s a relief.
Critical Temperature Check
Critics are generally giving it the thumbs-up, at least if you’re after laughs and a a bit of heart with your fairytale subversion. Alex Harrison (ScreenRant) finds it smart for poking fun at all the things we now expect from these films, yet keeping enough warmth that it doesn’t turn into pure satire. Rendy Jones (What’s On Netflix) is also full of praise, reckoning Steps is what Frozen always lacked — genuinely good character writing, and apparently, families (especially those with sisters) will be well into it. The big boast is that it belongs up there with Shrek and Tangled on the ‘fairy tale remix’ shelf.
Describing how the visuals compare, Jones observed: ‘It has a good blend of not being overly simplistic; geometric curves and sharp-edged features give it a punkish personality, sometimes steampunk as they venture into the orc territory. It bears something like a (gotta nerd out) Psychonauts game mixed with those Barbie direct-to-VHS movies from the 2000s. The animators extract some amusing expressions from these designs, which are further enhanced by the silly, extremely funny screenplay.’
Not everyone’s buying into the animation, mind. That’s one area where reviewers are properly split. While some find it stylish in a punky, slightly odd way, Jacob Oller (The A.V. Club) thought it forgettable and flat, especially the action bits, feeling the animation didn’t do justice to the voice talent — apparently the characters’ faces are a bit too stiff to match the energy the actors are throwing around. Peter Dinklage hamming it up as a psychotic butler? Don’t look for facial nuance, it seems.
There’s also a bit of chat about whether Steps goes as wild, visually or narratively, as this year’s other animated fare. Some reckon it plays things a little safe compared to the heights of genre-bending films elsewhere, but for its intended audience — especially younger girls — it’s likely to land just fine as a sweet and silly experience.
Steps drops on Netflix on 20 November 2026. If you’re after an animation double-bill, Disney’s Hexed is out the following week via cinemas on the 25th. Draw your own fairytale battle lines.