Uglies

Right now you can watch Uglies in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Joey King anchors it with a performance that grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Uglies arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes Uglies work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. In a futuristic dystopia with enforced beauty standards, a teen awaiting mandatory cosmetic surgery embarks on a journey to find her missing friend. Joey King and Brianne Tju lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2024. Uglies resists the temptation to explain everything, trusting the audience to sit with ambiguity. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Uglies fits the bill. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Joey King's performance is the anchor the more ambitious moments need. The world-building pays off in ways you will not anticipate on a first watch.