A poster for the Netflix movie “Uglies,” based on the original novel written by Scott Westerfeld, is shown. The dystopian film was released to the online streaming platform on Sept. 13, and is bound to dissatisfy viewers. “Tally and other ‘Uglies’ are heavily degraded throughout the movie for their appearance, which may turn viewers with their own insecurities away from the film,” Senior Copy Editor Miles Lawrence wrote. Photo fair use of IMDb
“Uglies,” released to Netflix on Sept. 13, is a highly predictable dystopian movie that attempts to tackle beauty standards but, in actuality, perpetuates the issue even more.
Nineteen years after the release of Scott Westerfeld’s 2005 dystopian Netflix on Sept. 13. While it may have been anticipated by fans of the original trilogy, viewers will be disappointed in the film’s perpetuation of the issue it stands to critique: beauty standards.
The one-hour and 42-minute film, directed by Joseph McGinty Nichol, drops viewers into a society where everyone is considered “Ugly” until they receive a mandatory cosmetic procedure at the age of 16 to be considered “Pretty.”
The film’s protagonist, 15-year-old Tally Youngblood (Joey King), is one of the “Uglies” awaiting this procedure, and while this system is heavily critiqued throughout the movie by a rebellious organization called “The Smoke,” it exacerbated the issue from the start. Tally and other “Uglies” are heavily degraded throughout the movie for their appearance, which may turn viewers with their own insecurities away from the film.
The official trailer for the Netflix movie “Uglies” is shown above. The movie, which was released on Sept. 13, is based on the novel “Uglies,” which is part of a trilogy written by Scott Westerfeld. “Because the novel is part of a trilogy, it can be inferred that two more painfully predictable films will be released in the future, but as for when, Netflix doesn’t know. Unless the movies appeal more to mature viewers than ‘Uglies’ did and are void of self critical dialogue, they shouldn’t waste their time,” Senior Copy Editor Miles Lawrence wrote. Video fair use of Netflix
The backstory of this procedure and dystopian world are conveyed in the first five minutes of the film, but explained in a confusing and rushed manner that don’t allow viewers to properly get their footing for the dramatic plot line that ensues.
If viewers can make it past this confusion, the movie does include some dramatic action scenes, and seems to hit a turning point when Tally befriends a rebel named Shay (Brianne Tju), who introduces her to the dangerous reality of not only the procedure, but the government that was supposed to protect them.
While it may have been anticipated by fans of the original trilogy, viewers will be disappointed in the film’s perpetuation of the issue it stands to critique: beauty standards.
However, right when the movie begins to pick up, it ends on a cliffhanger, and for a film that already contains so much confusion, this is unnecessary and only adds to viewers’ annoyance. It can be inferred that two more painfully predictable films will be released in the future, but as for when, Netflix doesn’t know.
Unless the movies appeal more to mature viewers than “Uglies” did and are void of self critical dialogue, they shouldn’t waste their time.
