The Ugly

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The Ugly

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Mystery & Thriller

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29 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

From director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Peninsula) comes a story of generational grief and guilt. One day while overseeing a documentary crew filming his blind father at work, Im Dong-hwan gets a phone call that his missing mother's remains have been found after forty years. Determined to find the truth of her disappearance, Dong-hwan embarks on a twisted odyssey through his family's traumatic past, uncovering dark secrets along the way.

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Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

It builds to revelations that speak emphatically to social shallowness, pressures and prejudices—even if, in the end, its bombshells resonate as less surprising than inevitable.

Sep 22, 2025

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Kristy Puchko

Mashable

The Ugly is a stirring thriller, bolstered by dark twists, and paid off with a final scene that plays like a monkey's paw curling.

Sep 16, 2025

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

The film is a dour, depressing drama, a movie that gets so lost in its lethargic structure that it feels like a chore.

Rated: 1.5/4

Sep 10, 2025

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Brogan Luke Bouwhuis

InBetweenDrafts

Yeon’s direction, Pyo’s cinematography, and Park’s dual performance are more than enough to compensate for the film’s shortcomings.

Rated: 7/10

Oct 6, 2025

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Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

Yeon Sang-ho strips things down to create one of his strongest works in years. From the layered documentary-style storytelling, to the bold choice of never showing the mother’s face, The Ugly is as unsettling as it is human.

Rated: 6.5

Oct 5, 2025

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Emma Vine

In Their Own League

Although The Ugly fails to stick the landing, at the very least, the film’s underlying message is a somewhat powerful one that sheds light on the cruelty of humanity and an unhealthy obsession with people’s physical appearance.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 3, 2025

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Alessio C

"The Ugly" surprised me. The premise was nothing special, but damn - the director managed to build real tension out of thin air. The suspense was thick, acting on point, and even the usual Korean overdrama stayed on the right side of believable. It did drag a bit in the final act, though, when the mystery was already solved - and showing the mother’s face at the end kinda ruined the beautiful ambiguity they’d built. Still, a strong, moody thriller that proves atmosphere can beat plot any day. 7/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/04/25

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Johnny A

This murder mystery was well worth the watch. Enjoyed the story and it's tense dive into the ugly truth the community in the film tried to hide and ignore.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/26/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 42 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dubbed and subtitled in worldwide studios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $26,800.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/04/25

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Yeon Sang-ho

Director

Park Jeong-min

Actor

Kwon Hae-hyo

Actor

Shin Hyun-been

Actor

Im Sung-jae

Actor

Han Ji-hyeon

Actor

The Ugly: Trailer 1

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The Ugly: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

From director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Peninsula) comes a story of generational grief and guilt. One day while overseeing a documentary crew filming his blind father at work, Im Dong-hwan gets a phone call that his missing mother's remains have been found after forty years. Determined to find the truth of her disappearance, Dong-hwan embarks on a twisted odyssey through his family's traumatic past, uncovering dark secrets along the way.

Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Screenwriter: Yeon Sang-ho
Distributor: Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co: Wow Point
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Korean
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 26, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.8K
Runtime: 1h 42m