the worst Netflix movie just dropped

[@trinaq]

They honestly should have simply made the film animated, since they'd be able to capture the eerie appearance of the Pretties better. All of the actors look attractive, even pre-operation, which defeats the point that they're supposed to be "ugly."

[@LightningRaven42]

There's an angle that this movie could tackle by focusing on how subjective beauty standards can be and going deep into the idea that it's heavily steeped into cultural elements. They could have "beautiful" actors, in our own current standards, be seen as "Uglies" and have the "Pretties" being vastly different than what we consider, which I think what the movie was attempting to going for, but without the depth it needed to in order to convey this idea.

[@peachy_lili]

@@LightningRaven42 Twilight Zone did this stuff so easily :( it's sad how little imagination adaptations have these days

[@tahnadana5435]

just like a zack snyder movie, animated, got it

[@ZustandZwei]

The premise of the book seems to be that the Uglies aren't really "ugly", they are just normal looking people without the excessive augmentations that make them "pretty" by society standards. So it would actually make sense to cast conventionally attractive actors and actresses as Uglies to show how warped the definition of beauty in that dystopia is.

[@rodion9238]

This poor lead actress is casted in terrible movies so often, I am forced to perceive her as a warning sign

[@SchulzEricT]

To be fair, she's cast in things because she's a nepo-baby; she's not being forced into doing bad movies, she's privileged enough to be in a ton of movies that she otherwise wouldn't get.

[@Darm0k]

She's good in the Hulu series We Were the Lucky Ones.

[@rodion9238]

@@SchulzEricT well, that explains what's up

[@firiel2366]

​​@@SchulzEricT Where did you get that info? Just skimming Wikipedia, it doesn't really look like her parents are famous or in the entertainment business or anything...

[@LightningRaven42]

The best movie I've see her in is Bullet Train with Brad Pitt. That movie is amazing and Joey King is stellar in her role.

[@DiegoLombardPao]

I’ve basically seen this entire movie already through KZbinr reviews

[@ZachBobBob]

Me with Madame Web

[@garbageboy8857]

The book must have been inspired by the classic Twilight Zone episode. I think its called the eye of the beholder. The reveal works well in the show, but it was only a 30 minute episode. Probably would be harder to maintain that mystery for a full movie.

[@jacobd1984]

This is the third time this week I’ve got a KZbin notification roasting this movie

[@jacobd1984]

Now it’s four

[@seymourpant]

“Beauty is in the beholder of the eye”

[@Ryan-jl9ii]

So Jake said that the twist would be difficult to adapt to a visual medium, but the Twilight Zone already did

[@garbageboy8857]

Oh dang, you beat me to it. Great episode

[@Stevies_Precog_Gym_n_Spa420]

I demand a return to the thumbnails where it looks like you two are cuddling.

[@cryptid_deity]

I feel like the movie would've been better off not giving a justification for the surgery. Beauty standards are already a real thing, and having surgery to make your body conform to those standards is also a real thing. I think audiences would've understood the premise just fine without an explanation.

[@Linklex7]

This is the problem with movies and shows like Uglies. Hollywood can’t help but still want to cast hotties. Look at Ugly Betty, they still cast a hot actress to play her.

[@justinchandler-holtz7206]

2011 called, it wanted its movie back.

[@as95ms98]

I really want to watch this now! My partner and I both have a soft spot for terrible dystopian YA novels starring a "not like other girls" main character so we're definitely going to hate watch this! 🤣

[@mattmasso6588]

actually the movie is great, don't listen to all these BS comments

[@SuperPal-tr3go]

Yeah them avoiding the racial element of "make everyone the same" feels like a copeout. It's like they want to touch on these issues but don't have the guts to go there.

[@DrMcFly28]

Because the movie that went "all bad guys are white" or "all bad guys are black" would go down SO well in today's climate

[@thatrantinggirl7376]

I think the book actually discusses that a bit, the surgery the pretties get gives them features that fit the European/western/white beauty standard. Like lips that are full, but not too big, that specific nose shape etc

[@SuperPal-tr3go]

@@thatrantinggirl7376 I figured that the book would at least acknowledge European beauty standards if not going completely "everyone becomes white."

[@AweSean-wv3xo]

@@DrMcFly28 less so "X race are the bad guys" and moreso "x race's beauty standards are the only acceptable one" which is a pretty important discussion to have given how colourism and the "Instagram look" are pretty big issues

[@raymiemiller1455]

@@SuperPal-tr3go It is explicitly stated that (essentially) everyone becomes white in the books.

[@alexanderandrews1263]

I'm so glad movies like this still exist. I love having the occasional bad stop film that we can all make fun of together.

[@Emelia39]

I loved these books in middle school and I think they were actually somewhat ahead of their time and had some decent messages for middle grade audiences. An adaptation of it should have probably happened earlier and been handled with more care and thought than just “ya dystopian” considering the subject matter. Shame, it could have been adapted to more relevancy. Should probably also mention that they pretties aren’t supposed to just be conventionally attractive, they’re supposed to look alien and have extreme symmetry and other augmentations, but the movie probably doesn’t explain that well.

[@Grimwinn]

My friend and I used to love watching horrible terrible Joey King movies that become the next worst thing I’ve ever seen, and I was so happy to find that she still delivers

[@videostoryanalyses8910]

The Twilight Episode where a beautiful person tries to get a pig face and it fails and they're heartbroken is very compelling.

[@ggadams639]

They just aren't able to make a good story. They took a good book with an interesting social commentary, but just revert it, making it profoundly meaningless

[@Internatube]

As an Asian guy that sometimes wishes they were white, I am disappointed that didn't discuss people becoming other races

[@stunlord]

if you're going to make a movie about "uglies", why would you cast an objectively gorgeous woman??? oh right cuz hollywood

[@Grafferty]

The book sounds like it’s riffing on The Twilight Zone episode Eye Of The Beholder. I’d recommend that.

[@raymiemiller1455]

Ecologist here, and also someone who read this book when I was in high school. ;) The reason that the smokies burn the forests is not out of a desire to destroy it, but because fire increases the health of forests and increases habitat for wildlife. In other words, they are being good stewards of the environment by burning the forest. I remember really liking this book as a kid mostly because the author recognized that fire is actually good for forests and not bad. It's a shame that the film did not explain this.

[@SgtWicket]

I read this book in high school in the early 2000s and thought the premise was sort of interesting but it just wasn’t enough to keep me going. I don’t think it was particularly popular even back then so I guess my question is why now?

[@bethbaskett3]

I mean the movie sounds ridiculous - you two are great!

[@bethbaskett3]

There would also be diversity of sexual preferences, religious preferences, etc. Brains wouldn't change... this sounds ridiculous

[@PlatinumAltaria]

The concept comes off as being written by someone whose only experience of social isolation is from being bullied in high school, which I don't think is really comparable with war and genocide.

[@bethbaskett3]

@PlatinumAltaria yes, exactly. I haven't watched the movie or read the books, but it sounds like children being "bullied" into choosing this surgery and then going along with whatever the "leader" is asking of them.

[@flora73146]

Please review The Substance!

[@Stevies_Precog_Gym_n_Spa420]

I love bad sci fi where the premise doesn't actually hold up almost immediately. Like that film where peoples lives are measured and paid for by stealing or working for hours or days of literal time cyrrency. Dumb af. More of this pls

[@veronicamaine3813]

Yeah and don’t get me started on the matrix.

[@gleebybooer]

It’s why The Giving Tree is horseshit

[@veronicamaine3813]

Yep - it is a second screen film. Basically made to be paid on lag the time to.

[@cynicalstubs360]

Fascinatingly awful. The most fun I've had with a movie this year.

[@lucasbertsche3710]

No chance I’m watching this movie but I will definitely watch this review

[@fredrik241]

I like the base premise at least its a bit original. Could still be a bad film tho.

[@aduck2790]

THIS MOVIE IS ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL!! I LOVE JOEY KING ❤️❤️❤️

[@weholdparties]

They can't show people who are "actually" ugly because then everyone would have to admit that "ugly" just means disabled or poor or "ethnic."

[@fredrik241]

Woman carrying baby!

[@ZachBobBob]

I avoid Joey King at all costs

[@mattmasso6588]

movie was great

[@tahnadana5435]

worst than a zack snyder movie?

[@evildoesnotsleep-x2b]

Why is she modifying her answers to his? Watch again and notice it

[@Stevies_Precog_Gym_n_Spa420]

It's called editing. Maybe they talked a lot and misspoke. Cut that but stitch it to another. What's the big deal.

[@melbapeach162]

This comment makes me think of that meme with Charlie Day and red strings on a wall.