Uglies (film)
A dystopian film about enforced cosmetic surgery at age 16.
Uglies is a 2024 American science fiction drama film directed by McG, with a screenplay by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson. It adapts Scott Westerfeld's novel of the same name, imagining a future post-apocalyptic dystopia where everyone is labeled "ugly" until they turn 16, at which point they undergo mandatory cosmetic surgery to become "pretty." The cast includes Joey King, Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Jan Luis Castellanos, Charmin Lee, and Laverne Cox. Netflix released the film on September 13, 2024, and it was met with negative reviews.
In this future, humanity depleted all natural resources, leading to chaos. Scientists responded by creating genetically modified orchids as a new energy source and developing a surgical procedure to enhance appearance and fitness, aiming to eliminate prejudice. The surgery is performed on "Uglies" at age 16, after which they move to the city to celebrate among "Pretties."
Tally and her best friend Peris are Uglies, but Peris is three months older and leaves for his surgery first. They share scars on their hands, vowing to keep them and remain friends. Anxious to see Peris, Tally sneaks into the city and finds him, but he has become careless and lost his scar. Wardens chase her back to the Uglies' dorms. She then befriends Shay, a rebellious Ugly who tells her about "The Smoke," a nature-based community inspired by Thoreau's *Walden*, and encourages her to reject surgery and join its leader, David. Tally declines.
On her 16th birthday, Tally is denied surgery until she reveals Shay's location. Dr. Cable, the operations leader, claims David is dangerous and building a weapon. Tally goes to The Smoke as a spy, reunites with Shay, and meets David. The Smoke discovers the orchids are toxic to nature and sets them on fire. Tally throws her tracker into the fire, renouncing the system. She learns from David's family that the surgery limits free will, making Pretties easy to control, while a few receive a cure to become the scientists behind it. David's parents were among those scientists until they fled.
Tally's active tracker alerts Dr. Cable, who arrives with troops. Peris, now an enhanced soldier, kills David's father by snapping his neck, and Tally is exposed as a traitor. Despite David's anger, she convinces him to help free the captured rebels from a lab. With Tally's friends creating a dive
- Release date
- September 13, 2024
- Director
- McG
- Writers
- Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, Whit Anderson
- Based on
- Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
- Lead actor
- Joey King
- Production companies
- Davis Entertainment Company, Anonymous Content, Industry Entertainment, Wonderland Sound and Vision
- Platform
- Netflix
Lore & Background
The plot centers on Tally and her best friend Peris, who are 'Uglies' awaiting their sixteenth birthday surgery. Peris undergoes the procedure first, and when Tally sneaks into the city to see him, she finds he has become careless and lost the scar they vowed to keep. Tally befriends Shay, a rebellious Ugly who tells her about 'The Smoke,' a community that rejects the surgery. On her sixteenth birthday, Tally is denied her procedure until she reveals Shay's location. She is sent as a spy to The Smoke, where she learns the surgery limits free will and thought, and that the orchid energy source is toxic to nature. Tally renounces the system and helps rescue captured rebels. In the climax, Peris does not kill David's father; David's father (Dr. Cable) is killed by another character, and Peris is not killed by David. Tally undergoes the surgery under coercion, not voluntarily to test a cure, and later retains her scar as a symbol of resistance, with the 'cure' plot point absent from the film's canon. Principal photography began in September 2022 and wrapped in November 2022, shot in Atlanta.
Reader's Guide
Uglies arrived on Netflix in September 2024 as an adaptation of Scott Westerfeld's 2005 novel, but critics largely panned it as derivative of earlier dystopian young-adult franchises. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 14% of 56 critics gave positive reviews, with an average rating of 3.5/10. Metacritic assigned a score of 34 out of 100, indicating 'generally unfavorable' reviews. Critics noted the film's tropes felt worn out, with The A.V. Club's Jacob Oller calling it 'nearly two decades too late.' However, some praised McG's direction and Joey King's performance. The film amassed 20 million views in its first three days. Author Scott Westerfeld expressed interest in sequel movies, noting that adaptations of Uglies and its follow-up series Imposters are optioned to associated studios.
Did You Know?
- The film was shot in Atlanta in December 2021.
- Joey King signed on to star and serve as executive producer after being a fan of the Uglies novels.
- The film amassed 20 million views in its first three days on Netflix.
- Author Scott Westerfeld expressed interest in sequel movies in September 2024.
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