Another Dystopian Movie
Former Netflix sensations recently joined together for a big project. Joey King, known for her major role in The Kissing Booth, and Chase Stokes, known for playing John B. in Outer Banks, played two best friends who end up on opposing sides. Though Netflix always seems to put random actors together for their projects, this pairings’ dynamic worked fairly well in Uglies.
Uglies follows the dystopian formula seen in franchises like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. It dabbles in brainwashing, world decay, rebellion, and impossible technological advancements. One scene near the beginning of the film showed Tally, the main character, taking a pill which substituted for brushing her teeth. While ridiculous, it showed how everyone in the city had lost their ability to care for themselves manually. Many aspects of the movie are silly on paper, but contribute to a message about how we care too much about our appearances.
Photo owned by Brian Douglas/Netflix

The main characters in Uglies are meant to be around sixteen years old. Since the weight of judgment for physical appearance is heavier for teenagers, this movie had a high chance of being relatable. Only, as has happened before with dystopian projects, the age of the actors took away from the impact of the story. Seeing actual teenagers play teenagers, instead of adults ten or more years older, would have better shown how quickly the government in Uglies works to control their citizens. Netflix once again missed their chance to break away from the pattern of age inaccuracy.
Even though Uglies has few original takes on the dystopian genre, the movie is very entertaining. Every scene contributes to the story and further expands on the world it takes place in. The visuals and sets are well done, depicting a world that draws the watcher in. Though the ending feels abrupt, it is due to the fact that this draws from a series rather than a singular book. Those who can’t wait for the next movie will likely go over to the trilogy by Scott Westerfield. Uglies was fast-paced and action-packed, making it a good movie to watch with friends or family.