UGLIES
(director/writer: McG; screenwriters: Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, Whit Anderson, based on the novel by Scott Westerfield; cinematographer: Xiaolong Liu; editors: Martin Bernfeld, Brad Besser; music: Edward Shearmur; cast: Joey King (Tally Youngblood), Chase Sto kes (Peris), Brianne Tju (Shay), Laverne Cox (Dr. Cable), Keith Powers (David), Charmin Lee (Maddy), Scott Westerfield (Wheelbarrow Smokie), Jay DeVon Johnson (Az), Jan Luis Castellanos (Croy), Zamani Wilder (Astrix), Joseph Echvarria (Ryde); Runtime: 100; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producers: John Davis, Jordan Davis, Robyn Meisinger, McG, Dan Spilo, Mary Viola; Netflix; 2024)
“One of the ugliest films of the year.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
It’s a tedious dystopian futuristic sci-fi film about ‘the beautiful people’ as rulers in a future world, that’s based on a 2005 YA novel by Scott Westerfield. It’s one of the ugliest films of the year.
It’s directed by McG (“Family Switch”/”Rim of the World”) and co-written by him, Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson as a pointless exercise in which it’s required by law for all residents at the age of 16 to get cosmetic beauty surgery. No ugliness is tolerated in this conformist society.
The 15-year-old Tally Youngblood (Joey King, who is 25) can’t wait to undergo surgery to become beautiful, as her slightly older best friend Peris (Chase Stokes, is 31) goes first and comes out looking so dreamy he chooses no longer to be in her company when he heads to Pretty City.
Tally’s new free-spirited pal Shay (Brianne Tju), however, refuses surgery and links up with an elusive rebel nature commune called “Smoke” that’s led by the hunky David (Keith Powers).
When confronted by the sinister Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox, transgender actress), she convinces Tally to enlist with the anarchists and go undercover to rat out her friends or else she’ll always be with the “Uglies.”
The cheesy CGI effects and the dumb story are never convincing. What’s convincing is how ugly it is.
REVIEWED ON 9/25/2024 GRADE: D
dennisschwartzreviews.com