The new Netflix film “Uglies,” starring Joey King, explores the concept of beauty and the societal costs associated with it. Based on Scott Westerfeld’s 2005 novel, the movie is set in a dystopian world where individuals undergo surgery on their 16th birthday to become their “healthy, happy, pretty” selves. Before the procedure, they are labeled as “Uglies” and face a lower social standing.
At the film’s beginning, Tally is nearing her 16th birthday, as her best friend Peris prepares for the surgery. They promise to remain the same despite the changes that come with becoming “Pretties,” sharing the identical scars they have on their hands.
After Peris leaves for his surgery, Tally meets Shay, who is also two months away from her procedure but is uncertain about undergoing it, expressing a desire to live in the Smoke instead. The Smoke, which Tally believed was a myth, proves to be real and represents a life free from the surgery and its societal implications. While Shay embraces this path, Tally resolves to proceed with becoming a Pretty.
On her birthday, instead of the anticipated surgery, Tally is confronted by Dr. Cable, who gives her a choice: provide information about Shay or forfeit the procedure. Dr. Cable claims the Smoke is developing a weapon that threatens society and views Shay’s association with David, a supposed radical leader, as a danger. Tally’s journey takes a turn as she enters the Smoke, where her worldview begins to shift under Shay’s influence.
As Tally grows closer to David, she learns from his parents, former surgeons, that the surgery is designed to create brain lesions that control the population’s thoughts and emotions. The film delves into themes of free will and the consequences of enforced conformity.
Tensions rise as city officials, under Dr. Cable’s directive, close in on the Smoke. Peris, now a brainwashed Pretty, is ordered to eliminate one of the Smoke’s leaders, leading to a dramatic confrontation where he ultimately falls from a building after seeming to struggle with his identity.
The narrative culminates in a forced procedure for Tally, David, and Maddy, but chaos erupts as fighters from the Smoke attempt to rescue them. Maddy manages to retrieve a crucial component needed for developing a cure for the mind control lesions.
As Tally is transformed into a Pretty, her character grapples with the loss of her former self and the quest to reclaim her identity, which she believes can be achieved through Maddy’s cure. The film concludes with implications for a sequel, as “Uglies” is the first installment of a trilogy, leading into further explorations of Tally’s transformation and the societal challenges she faces.