Fix: Early Aughts Dystopia, Book Adaptation, How Long Has This Been In Development, No Really This Seems Like a Serious Throwback
Platform: Netflix
Netflix Summary:
A sparkling futuristic society requires teens to undergo extreme cosmetic surgery in this action-packed adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian novel.
FYA Summary:
In an adaptation of a book published in the heyday of the YA dystopian craze, a young woman is forced to come to terms with the truth about her “perfect” society when her friend goes missing before her 16th birthday—the birthday in which members of their society undergo an operation that makes everyone a “pretty.”
Familiar Faces:
Joey King as Tally
Although she easily pulled off “teenage girl,” King is too good for a role like this. Sure, she starred in all three Kissing Booth movies, but she’s got some serious acting chops. I suppose it’s good for every teenage ingenue to have a YA (dystopian) franchise under their belt, but this just felt beneath her.
Laverne Cox as Dr. Cable
Cox is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. She’s also very good at playing a sus dystopian leader who can plaster on a smile while doing nefarious deeds in the background.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Book Club Meeting
I have fond memories of attending the Divergent movies with members of my local FYA Book Club—and spending the entire time cackling over how silly they were. Uglies is a perfect movie to bring back those feelings of joy, which I think we all need—especially at a time like this.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: High
Now, I’m not one to condone heavy drinking, but this is a perfect movie during which to get a little–or a lotta—tipsy. It’s a ridiculous throwback to the days of Divergent and The Maze Runner, and it provides a heavy helping of nostalgia for those glory days. But it’s not a move that needs to be watched, intently, from start to finish. Especially because if you’ve seen or read any dystopian YA adaptation, you’ll be able to suss out the plot from the word go.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Nostalgia
I read a couple of the Uglies books in 2016 and rated them very highly. (Probably too highly, looking back, but that was another time.) I was super entertained by the semi-formulaic story, and so I was looking forward to seeing this movie, even while knowing that it likely wouldn’t be anything spectacular. I suppose that’s why I enjoyed it—and I did, even though this review might not make that clear—as someone who fondly remembers watching The Hunger Games in a theater and feeling that sense of righteousness when Katniss sticks it to the Capitol. (It ends on a cliffhanger, though, so be prepared for a possible sequel (or sequels) to come out in the future.)
This whole movie was so much like the Twilight Zone episode ‘Number 12 Looks Just Like You.’