When Netflix finally released the long-awaited adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies in September 2024, it ended a nearly two-decade wait for fans of the iconic YA series. Directed by McG and starring Joey King, the film promised to bring the world of "Pretties" and "Uglies" to life.
Now, over a year later in late 2025, the dust has settled. The viewership numbers are in, the critics have spoken, and the fandom is divided. The burning question remains: Is Uglies actually a good movie?
This 1000-word deep dive analyzes the film’s quality, its performance as a streaming product, and its ranking among Netflix’s vast library of book adaptations.
The Verdict: Hit or Flop?
To understand if Uglies is "good," we have to separate its artistic quality from its commercial success. The movie represents a fascinating divide between what critics hate and what subscribers watch.
1. The Critical "Flop"
If you look at the review aggregators, Uglies was a disaster.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: It sits at a "Rotten" 16%.
Metacritic: It holds a score of 34/100, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."
Common Criticisms: Reviewers panned the film for feeling "20 years too late." The dystopian YA trend (led by The Hunger Games and Divergent) peaked in the early 2010s, making Uglies feel derivative rather than innovative. Critics also lashed out at the heavy-handed CGI (which often looked like a blurry Instagram filter) and the rushed pacing that stripped the characters of depth.
2. The Streaming "Hit"
Despite the savage reviews, the movie was a commercial juggernaut.
Global Ranking: It debuted at #1 on Netflix in over 80 countries.
Viewership: In its first week alone, it garnered over 20 million views (approx. 35 million hours viewed).
Retention: It stayed in the "Top 10" globally for several weeks, proving that the nostalgia factor for the books was powerful enough to overcome bad word-of-mouth.
The Consensus: Uglies is not a "good" movie in the cinematic sense, but it is a highly successful one. It falls firmly into the "Guilty Pleasure" category—a movie you watch on a Friday night to disconnect, not to be intellectually challenged.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (CGI)
What The Movie Did Well (The Good)
The Concept: Even with a flawed execution, Westerfeld’s core idea remains compelling. The social commentary on forced conformity and the toxicity of beauty standards hits harder in the age of TikTok and Facetune than it did when the book was published in 2005. The movie successfully translates the "Pretty operation" into a terrifying metaphor for modern influencer culture.
Joey King’s Commitment: As an executive producer and the lead (Tally Youngblood), Joey King gives the role her all. While the script fails her often, her physical commitment to the hoverboarding stunts and emotional scenes anchors the film.
The "Smoke" Aesthetic: When Tally escapes the high-tech city to join the rebels in "The Smoke," the film breathes easier. The production design for the rebel camp—gritty, natural, and warm—contrasts effectively with the sterile, neon nightmare of the city.
Where It Failed (The Bad)
The Script: The dialogue is often painfully expository. Characters state their feelings out loud ("I just want to be pretty!") rather than showing them through action. The complex moral gray areas of the book are flattened into a generic "Good vs. Evil" fight.
The "Peris" Change: Book fans were particularly outraged by the character arc of Peris (Chase Stokes). In the novel, Peris is a tragic figure of conformity. In the movie, he is transformed into a "Special"—a super-soldier villain—almost immediately. This change robbed the story of its emotional core (Tally’s desire to save her friend) and turned it into a generic action subplot.
The Visuals: For a movie about beauty, Uglies is often ugly to look at. The "Pretty Town" is rendered with an excessive amount of bloom and blur effects that make the screen look smeared. The CGI for the hoverboard chases varies from "acceptable" to "video game cutscene from 2010."
How Does It Rank Among Netflix Adaptations?
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Netflix has a checkered history with YA adaptations. Here is where Uglies ranks in the hierarchy:
Top Tier (The Gold Standard): To All The Boys I've Loved Before, Shadow and Bone. (These had critical acclaim and style).
Mid Tier (Watchable Hits): The School for Good and Evil, Enola Holmes. (Fun, but flawed).
The "Uglies" Tier: Uglies, The Kissing Booth 3. (Massively popular, but critically reviled).
Bottom Tier: Death Note (2017). (Universally hated).
Uglies ranks in the Lower Mid-Tier. It is better than the disastrous Death Note adaptation because it at least respects the basic plot of the book, but it lacks the polish and heart of Shadow and Bone.
Sequel Status: Will There Be an Uglies 2 (Pretties)?
As of late 2025, the status of the sequel, Pretties, remains in limbo.
The Setup: The movie ends on a clear cliffhanger. Tally has undergone the surgery to become a "Pretty" in order to be a spy/test subject for the cure. The final shot shows her gold eyes and a new scar, signaling her internal rebellion is still alive.
The Likelihood: Despite the high viewership in 2024, Netflix has not officially greenlit the sequel as of November 2025.
Why the delay? The long gap suggests Netflix might be hesitant due to the high cost of the CGI required for the sequel (which takes place entirely in the high-tech "New Pretty Town") versus the poor critical reception. However, Joey King and director McG have both expressed strong interest in returning.
Prediction: Given the viewing numbers, a sequel is 50/50. If it happens, it will likely be a lower-budget direct-to-streaming release.
Conclusion: Should You Watch It?
If you are asking, "Is Uglies a good movie?" because you want a cinematic masterpiece, the answer is no. It is a product of the Netflix algorithm—designed to be consumed quickly and forgotten.
However, if you are asking, "Is Uglies an entertaining movie?" the answer might be yes. It is a fast-paced, nostalgic ride that requires zero brain power. It captures the angst of 2000s YA literature perfectly, for better or worse.
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