The price of beauty is a central theme in “Uglies,” a new Netflix film based on Scott Westerfeld’s 2005 novel. Starring Joey King, the dystopian narrative revolves around a society that mandates a surgical transformation on individuals’ 16th birthdays. This procedure is designed to make them “healthy, happy, pretty,” allowing them to ascend from the status of “Uglies,” who are relegated to a lower social tier.
As the film opens, Tally is just two months shy of her own surgery, while her best friend Peris is preparing for his transformation. They vow that the surgery won’t change them, reminiscing about the matching scars on their hands. Following Peris’s departure for the procedure, Tally befriends Shay, who is uncertain about undergoing the surgery and expresses a desire to live outside the confines of society in a place called the Smoke. Initially dismissed as a myth, the Smoke turns out to be real, and Tally begins to question the societal norms surrounding beauty and conformity.
Tally’s commitment to the procedure is tested when she is confronted by Dr. Cable, who offers her a choice: inform on Shay or forgo the surgery entirely. Tally learns that the Smoke is developing a weapon that poses a threat to the established order, and she must now locate this weapon to save her city.
When Tally reaches the Smoke, she discovers that her understanding of beauty and identity begins to evolve. As she grows closer to David, the leader’s son, Tally learns from his parents, former surgeons, that the surgery creates brain lesions responsible for mind control and a false sense of happiness. This revelation fuels her commitment to the cause of the Smoke, as she learns of the true nature of the societal control exerted through the procedure.
Tension escalates when city officials, led by Dr. Cable, threaten the Smoke. Peris, now transformed into a “Special,” is manipulated into killing one of the Smoke’s leaders. In an intense confrontation, Tally attempts to appeal to Peris’s remaining humanity, but he ultimately falls to what appears to be his death.
As the movie climaxes, Tally and others are coerced into the procedure. However, a rebellion occurs as the Smoke fights back against the city’s forces, and Maddy, one of the leaders, obtains a crucial missing element needed for a counter to the mind control lesions. Tally volunteers to test the cure on herself, believing that if it works, she can help Shay and others reclaim their true selves.
Despite David’s reservations, Tally undergoes the transformation to Pretty, assuring him that her identity remains intact and that she will leave a sign of her past self. The film concludes with a glimpse of hope as Tally emerges as a Pretty, yet a scar on her hand signifies that her true self endures.
“Uglies” leaves the door open for sequels, as it is the first part of a trilogy that explores themes of identity, manipulation, and the quest for authenticity amid societal pressures.