Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“All my life, I wanted to be pretty. I thought it would change everything.”
Based on the dystopian novels by Scott Westerfeld, Netflix’s 2024 sci-fi movie “Uglies” is set in a futuristic society obsessed with beauty. In this world, everyone undergoes a mandatory cosmetic procedure at the age of sixteen and gets to live a ‘happily ever after’ in a glitzy city run by Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox). Joey King, who was last seen in the Netflix romantic-comedy “A Family Affair,” stars as Tally Youngblood, a young girl eagerly awaiting her turn to become ‘pretty’. However, just before the big day, her friend Shay (Brianne Tju) runs away to be part of an alternate community known as ‘The Smoke’, and Tally is dispatched by Dr. Cable to find their hideout.
Directed by McG, “Uglies” is like a mash between the dystopian “Divergent” movies and “The Stepford Wives”, since it’s about a society where teens undergo a cosmetic makeover and start behaving pretty much like humanoid robots. Tally is told by Dr. Cable that their perfect world is being threatened by ‘The Smoke’, which is run by David (Keith Powers), who allegedly brainwashes youngsters and aims at destroying her city. However, when Tally infiltrates ‘The Smoke’, she sees a completely different world from what she was expecting. She must now choose between betraying her new friends or the familiar Dr. Cable, with whom she can get the ‘pretty’ face she always desired and hang out with her best-friend Peris (Chase Stokes), who’s already undergone the pretty procedure. But with ‘The Smoke’, she can be a completely bold, different version, without having to change the way she looks.
At just an hour and forty minutes, Uglies delivers an underwhelming and familiar story about how authoritarian regimes manipulate history and breed insecurity. The transformation the teenagers undergo is more than skin-deep—memories seem to be altered too. Separated from the ‘pretty’ people, the teens are left in the dark about what truly happens after they become ‘beautiful’. Tally thanks to her rebellious nature, is able to see the difference first hand.
The world-building in Uglies isn’t very expansive, but it does feature some really cool hoverboard sequences as Shay is shown hoverboarding her way around. Some of the special effects looked like they were from an outdated game, though. There are a few cool gadgets in Uglies, but they aren’t featured very prominently. I feel like maybe this should’ve been a mini-series, because despite an intriguing premise, none of the characters stick—there’s just not enough time for their development. Joey King’s Tally is the only one who manages to leave an impression.
Rating: 5 on 10. Watch “Uglies” on Netflix.
Also Read: The Perfect Couple’s Ending is Totally Different in the Book! (Audio Version Below)