Picture: Netflix
Based on the young adult novel by author Scott Westerfeld, Uglies is adapted from the first novel of the original trilogy and focuses on the exploits of 15 year old Tally Youngblood in her post-apocalyptic future society.
In a world where war over our remaining natural resources took out a large portion of the population (and, of course, more resources), Tally is stuck in a lower station in life: a young girl awaiting “The Transformation,” a medical procedure conducted upon the 16th birthday that creates your perfect, most beautiful self and allows you to join the rest of the post-op “Pretties” in the heart of the city. This surgery was created by the best-remaining scientists to make the population so happy as not to start another war. Tally, along with her best friend Peris aka “Nose”, are so close to having everything, but currently live in the “Uglies” dorm until they are of age.
After Peris (yes, it still sounds like Paris, much like the always annoying Peeta from The Hunger Games who just COULDN’T be named Peter because it’s the future) turns 16 and has the surgery, Tally tries desperately to reconnect with him to no avail as he seems distant and different in his new life. In his absence, Tally connects with a new friend, Shay, who introduces her to many new and exciting things (reading “Walden”, futuristic skateboarding, etc.); chief among them, the existence of the rumored alternative society “The Smoke,” a group of individuals who opted out of the Transformation and started a new life outside of the city’s reach.
While Tally may have been intrigued by “The Smoke,” she was still looking forward to having the surgery and joining back with Peris once more. On the day she and Shay (yes, they have the same birthday) were set to have their surgeries, Shay did not show. Convinced by city leader Dr. Cable that Shay and the whole city could be in grave danger, Tally sets out to find “The Smoke” and bring her friend back home. However, once she finds “The Smoke” and lives among them, Tally may find out more about her home than she ever thought possible.
Picture: Netflix
Directed by the enigma that is McG (Terminator: Salvation, The Babysitter) on a script by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, & Whit Anderson, Uglies was brought out of past development stalls by lead actress Joey King, who fell in love with the books as a child and desperately wanted to play Tally on screen. If the film succeeds and the trilogy is made, it would mark the 2nd Netflix trilogy for King after her role as Elle in The Kissing Booth gave her the first trilogy ending in 2021.
The creators of Uglies sure think they have multiple movies to make as this one ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, but if quality is what matters in moving forward on Part 2, then I’m not sure if that will happen.
Honestly, I don’t know what success looks like for this film and its potential as a series. I’m a 42-year-old man who is desperately trying to see this film as a product for my young daughter and not as a film for me to enjoy … but that is really hard right now.
The story is a simple allegory for our current tech-controlled, social media-driven, phone-obsessed culture that is always striving to make itself perfect and blocking out the world around them that could use a little attention itself. While I think that is an admirable message to send to all of us, let alone our current crop of tweens & teens, this film does NOT make it easy to ingest without scoffing or the occasional eye roll. Pretties? Uglies? “Nose” & “Squint”? Was this written by an 8-year-old? Whenever they called the older generations “Rusties,” my occasionally balky knee would cry out in disgust.
The story is also incredibly basic with on-the-nose (no pun intended, Peris) terms, motivations, & characters that deliver the thinly veiled crusade against screens, socials, & obsession with beauty. If you want the whole thing spelled out for you, you can probably skip to almost an hour in when “The Smoke” leader David gives this speech:
“We must achieve our objective. Where we believe in preserving what’s natural, they believe in manipulation. Before you came here, how many times a day did you think about how you looked? What’s wrong with you? They make us feel so alone and so insecure that we don’t have time for things that actually matter. Thinking, reading, learning, dreaming. Choosing who you become. And I’m not ok with that. And you’re not ok with that.”
Those words cover about 95% of what you need to know with 3% being what the surgery does to people and how to cure it and 2% who Tally is in love with at any given time. Again, a message worth receiving, but goodness do they love being as plain as the nose on Peris’ face. A little subtext and a little mystery could go a long way for us Rusties and even the target demo.
The good news is that the cast is mostly solid and filled with actors who are well-versed in the game of YA drama. Besides Netflix YA royalty in King, the cast rounds out with Outer Banks star Chase Stokes as Peris, I Know What You Did Last Summer co-star Brianne Tju as Shay, & The Tomorrow War’s Keith Powers as David. Though not given much to do, Orange is the New Black standout Laverne Cox always seems perfect in a futuristic setting with her perfectly presented look and almost AI-quality voice.
Picture: Netflix
I wish that quality extended into the VFX and production design of the film, but sadly, it doesn’t. With heavy CGI use that doesn’t rise above bad sci-fi TV and a mostly bland color palette, the film won’t impress anyone stylistically (though I do empathize with the team that had multiple delays and hangups in the grueling two-year edit process due to various strike-related stoppages).
Overall, Uglies does not match its more appealing message with a style, subtlety, and tone that would better suit it. King, Cox, & its cast of young stars cannot rise above the middle school level world-building and poor sci-fi production. Only if its target demo of 10-15-year-olds who haven’t read “Walden” yet for themselves watch and relate to its simplicity will this survive to the next film in the trilogy; however, this much older parent/critic won’t be anticipating those creations in the future.
Watch Uglies If You Liked:
- Divergent
- The Maze Runner
- The Hunger Games
- The Giver
MVP of Uglies
Keith Powers as “The Smoke” leader David
As one of the rare characters with a sense of purpose & mild depth, David gets to stand out among his peers and Keith Powers took full advantage.
With his strong presence and sense of command, Powers made it plausible for such a young man to have a hold on the community of “The Smoke.” As noted earlier, he took the one meaty speech of the film and delivered it well enough to change the perspective of the film and focus the narrative into its final act.
While we all can rally behind a “fear of tech’s hold on our lives and manipulation of our reality” message, this isn’t the story that I’d hope delivers that message. Even for YA, this seems subpar.
