‘Uglies’ as the movie name suggests, is a sci-fi drama that is set in not too distant future where the humanity has destroyed the normal way of living by over use of natural resources and usage of fossil fuels and other such things. Now streaming on Netflix.
However the scientists have created genetically modified plant which give abundant source of energy and the society is now been divided into two after a lot of strife. On one hand there are the uglies (children up to the age of 16) and others are the pretties.
Based on the novel of the same name written by Scott Westerfeld, The uglies are the simple beings who live in colony type bunkers where they are looked after but have to follow strict rules so that when they are 16 years of age, they are taken for surgery to make them pretty, hap and happening, living a party life without restrictions and are accommodated in the cities.
The movie explores the beauty of natural way of living versus the out and out fake and cosmetic life. It throws a question at you as to what kind of life you prefer is it that of make believe or that you feel from within one that is true, real and grounded.
The story is seen through the eyes of the protagonist ‘Tally’ (beautiful Joey King, Last seen in ‘A Family Affair’) who has been forever looking forward and counting days to go under the knife to look pretty but with the given choices, circumstances and dawning of the truth chooses otherwise.
The moral here is that life is not about a constant party which can be achieved in an instant. You have to be real and compassionate, interact or not react and that a perfect world is an utopia. Also that humanity needs to pull up its socks and repair the damage it has already perpetrated on the nature and our mother planet, which we call earth.
The special effects are handled quite well however things are not so simple as shown as human mind is complex and one does not know what temptation may entice it. The acting and direction are nothing to write home about, Hollywood has a way to make everything bunkum to look very real, however the movie fails here and just comes out as a triumph of good over evil intentions and makes one feel good for a while at the end of the movie’s run time of 102 minutes.
– Review by PAWAN GUPTA
Cast of Uglies:
Joey King
Keith Powers
Chase Stokes
Brianne Tju
Credits of Uglies:
Production companies – Davis Entertainment, Anonymous Content, Industry Entertainment, Wonderland Sound and Vision
Produced by John Davis, Jordan Davis, Robyn Meisinger, Dan Spilo, McG, Mary Viola
Directed by McG
Screenplay by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, Whit Anderson
Based on the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Cinematography – Xiaolong Liu
Edited by Martin Bernfeld, Brad Besser
Music by Edward Shearmur
Released : September 13, 2024