Synopsis
Uglies starts with an environmental and societal collapse, then fast-forwards centuries later into a world where people must follow state-set standards of beauty and societal order. Society is now split into two groups, Pretties and Uglies, with uglies considered those of a lower social class up to the age of sixteen i.e. Pretties who go through a cosmetic transformation on their sixteenth birthday. The state aims to resolve conflict and inequality by achieving a dull uniform beauty, and in the process, does the opposite of granting people any form of uniqueness and worsens their freedom.
Tally Youngblood is a free-spirited teen who can’t wait for her sixteen birthday as she is eagerly anticipating to turn into a Pretty and reside in New Pretty Town. Tally’s best friend Peris gets the surgery and returns to her as a stranger. Tally gets to meet Shay, a rebellious anti-heroine who pulls her into the world of the ‘Smoke’ which is a place where people who refuse to get the surgery live.
Shay’s escaping a week before her sixteenth birthday keeps her from becoming a Pretty, which puts Tally in a difficult position. Tally is then called in by Dr. Cable, the head of Special Circumstances which is an enforcement division of a of a powerful agency. Tally has to betray her friend to find The Smoke, an area where ‘rebels’ are located, and is forced to wear a tracking device with a promise of being able to safely undergo the surgery afterwards.
After finding The Smoke, Tally’s perspective begins to shift dramatically. Meeting David, one of the leaders of the settlement, begins her journey of understanding the horrors of the operation. The surgery not only alters one’s appearance; it also implants brain lesions which makes an individual more docile and incapable of free will.
While Tally is devoted to the rebellion, she is guilt ridden after the accidental tracking device activation which causes Special Circumstances to raid The Smoke and capture many residents, including Shay. Tally helps David in the rescue operation which has her fully committed to the cause. Ultimately, Tally chooses to undergo the surgery as a test subject for a potential cure that could reverse the brain damage provided she preserved the ability to be herself.
The movie culminates in Tally’s new and final infiltration of New Pretty Town, but this time, she is no mindless Pretty. She is a conscious rebel, ready and willing to wage an internal war against the system.
Cast & Crew
Director:
The film is directed by McG, Charlie’s Angel and The Babysitter’s Joseph McGinty Nichol. McG is Uglies’ Theoug Uglies’s Bald Movie Dids. While McG tackles action and commentary in a dystopia Uglies, his work is action packed and visually striking.
Writers:
The screenplay was written by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson. The script is an attempt to revise the issues of the book, in terms of the overused theme of the internet, beauty standards and identity.
Producers:
John Davis, Jordan Davis, Robyn Meisinger, Dan Spilo, Mary Viola, McG, and Scott Westerfeld are the film’s producers. He is commissioned as an executive producer and was proactive in creative involvement.
Main Cast:
Joey King as Tally Youngblood- the film’s lead and a co-producer. She portrays Tally’s internal conflict with sincerity, bringing both strength and vulnerability to the role.
Chase Stokes as Peris- Tally’s closest friend and a new Pretty, Peris’ a Pretty Pretty Pretty a Pretty a Pretty.
Brianne Tju as Shay plays a defiant Teen who is constantly unbothered by social norms. Shay’s bond with Tally is one of the key components of the film’s emotional climax.
Keith Powers as David is one of the romantic interests of Tally and a prominent character of the Smoke. He shows her the dark side of the government’s manipulations.
Laverne Ccpx as Dr. Cable is the cold narrator who unswervingly obeys the rules of the system. Her portrayal of the antagonist gives her a menacing and menacing depth.
Thematic Concerns and Issues for this film.
- Conformity vs. Individuality*
Uglies delve into how the lack of freedom because beauty is enforced. The government control over beauty acts as a way to seize control over people’s thoughts and enforces a system where rebellion is literally erased from the mind.
Technology and Identity
The film draws parallels to social media filters, AI-generated images, and the expectation to a curate one’s image. In this world, the process of becoming “Pretty” is a metaphor for losing one’s authenticity.
Coming-of-Age
Tally’s change from a passive teenager to a more self-aware one is a classic coming-of-age shift. She learned to be independent, learned howto properly ascertain authority, and carry moral responsibility for her actions.
Tally and Shay’s friendship and its betrayal is one of the most interesting aspects of the film. Their relationship progresses from trust to betrayal and finally, to mutual respect. This emotional journey is just as important as the dystopian backdrop of the film.
The idea of making people more beautiful as a means to achieve peace is deeply unsettling. Is peace really worth the sacrifice of one’s autonomy? What role does an individual have in resisting a system that is clearly unjust? These are some of the questions the film explores, even if some are left unanswered.
Reviews of Uglies were predominately mixed to negative. While critics recognized the film’s high production value and timeliness, they felt that the film fell short of the expectations created by its source material.
Joey King’s performance in Uglies received accolades and He was remembered for the emotional depth of his character. The older audiences remembered the new smoke and New Pretty Town’s visual design that was set them apart from the digital beauty world as they were a blend of nature and artifice.
The feminists remembered the updated themes and appreciated that they were marketed to a demographic of the younger audiences.
The younger audiences remembered them as charms to a beauty culture at a digital height.
Many critics felt the film was overly derivative of earlier YA dystopias such as The Hunger Games or Divergent.
Many felt that the film’s [[DI]] was in a third of a third.
Some character development like Peris’s was insufficient.
Lack of chemistry was a common critique for the romance subplot, which was also viewed as cliche.
Notwithstanding this, the film was able to gain noteworthy traction on streaming services after it was released, which in turn reignited interest in the Uglies book series.
Impact on Streaming and Future Prospects
Uglies was released as a Netflix exclusive, and within the first week, it was one of the platforms most viewed titles. The book’s popularity and buzz on social media surrounding Joey King’s role contributed to the views.
Considering the high number of views, it’s possible that Netflix will proceed with adapting the sequels, Pretties, Specials, and Extras. The ending of Uglies clearly sets up for future installments, indicating the filmmakers intended for a multi-film storyline.
In addition to this, Scott Westerfeld, the author, stated that he would like to continue the story in a form that is meant for television, and hinted that the spin-off series, Impostors, could be pursued if the saga picks up steam.
Final Thoughts
Visually and thematically, Uglies is an adaptation that Scott Westerfeld’s novel deserves. It tackles contemporary issues such as appearance, identity, and self-ownership within a dystopian society. The film may not offer a fresh narrative, but it revitalizes important dialogues for younger audiences.
Even with mixed reviews, the way the film affected its audience, particularly younger viewers dealing with the societal expectations of beauty, indicates that Uglies has established itself as a modern cautionary story. Regardless of what comes next in the plot, the narrative of Tally Youngblood is deeply resonant and paints a striking picture: the battle for identity is invaluable.
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