9 Best Movies Like Uglies

Netflix’s adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s hugely popular novel has viewers scouring streaming platforms for the best movies like Uglies. The films in question run the gamut in terms of genre, encompassing sci-fi, dystopian, and young adult (YA) elements. Of course, some of the best Uglies replacements combine all of those categories, capturing the feel of Westerfeld’s dystopian YA story. Led by Joey King’s Tally, Uglies‘ cast of characters live in a world where government-mandated cosmetic surgery is the norm. When people turn 16, they undergo Uglies‘ Transformation, a surgical procedure that turns them into “Pretties.“

Before Uglies‘ ending, Tally learns that the Transformation has a more sinister purpose. The cosmetic procedure creates brain lesions, which dull the Pretties and strips them of their individuality and agency. Outside the City, a rebel group known as The Smoke harbors a secret weapon: a cure that promises to restore Pretties’ ability to think freely. In typical dystopian story fashion, Tally is pulled between the corrupt world she knows and The Smoke. The movies that are most like Uglies incorporate similar themes, often following a protagonist who learns the terrible truth at the center of a utopia or power structure.

9 The Giver

Directed By Phillip Noyce

Based on Lois Lowry’s award-winning 1993 novel of the same name, The Giver is a classic in the dystopian YA canon. Although the film adaptation might not be as strong as the novel, it’s backed by an impressive ensemble, which includes Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, and Brenton Thwaites, among many others. The Giver is set in a post-war society — one that has rid humanity of the ability to feel good or bad emotions. A person known as the Receiver of Memory (Bridges) protects everyone else by holding all the emotionally charged memories of the past.

Just like in Uglies, The Giver features a world that’s meant to be free of envy and jealousy. Aside from the Receiver of Memory, no one can see in color, either, which is somewhat echoed by the sameness of the mandated cosmetic surgery in Uglies. With its YA protagonist and chilling dystopia, The Giver will feel familiar to Uglies viewers. Although the film isn’t the most well-regarded, it boasts a capable cast, striking visuals, and a unique premise. Unfortunately, The Giver doesn’t delve deeply enough into Lowry’s compelling themes to rank higher on a list of dystopian YA movies.

8 Divergent

Directed By Neil Burger

Divergent is another YA dystopian adaptation that boasts sci-fi elements similar to the world-building seen in Uglies. This makes it a solid follow-up film. Based on Veronica Roth’s trilogy of books, the Divergent movies center on Beatrice “Tris” Prior (Shailene Woodley), who, like Tally, is a 16-year-old girl with a daunting choice ahead of her. Set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, the film sees people divided into factions when they come of age — factions that are based on human virtues. Tris, however, doesn’t fit neatly into any one category, making her “divergent.“

Much like Tally, Tris must embrace those things that make her different — the characteristics that would otherwise turn her into a societal outcast — and use them to overcome the stringent, controlling dystopia she’s grown up in. Although the first Divergent film is a pretty paint-by-numbers take on the dystopian YA formula, it certainly feels like the closest comp title to Uglies. As a whole, the Divergent trilogy doesn’t rank higher because of its fairly bland world-building and over-reliance on a formulaic plot. While dystopian narratives share tropes, Divergent does little to stand out.

7 Ready Player One

Directed By Steven Spielberg

Based on Ernest Cline’s bestselling novel of the same name, Ready Player One is much more sci-fi-forward than other titles that are similar to Uglies. Set in the near future, Ready Player One sees humanity escaping the horrors of the real world through a virtual reality (VR) game: the OASIS. However, the premise starts to feel a touch more dystopian when teenager Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) competes against an evil mega-corporation for control of the OASIS. Despite being directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg, Ready Player One isn’t as compelling as the director’s other adventures.

It might not resonate the most with Uglies fans, but Ready Player One is worth the watch — if viewers are prepared for its unique approach. In an effort to capitalize on audiences’ nostalgia for various IP and characters, Ready Player One is stuffed to the gills with Easter eggs and pop culture references. However, between these fun references and intense action sequences, the thrilling eye candy can only take the movie so far. The over-abundance of pop culture references clouds the film’s core ideas, turning Ready Player One into a messy but memorable roller-coaster ride.

6 Equals

Directed By Drake Doremus

Although it’s more of a sci-fi/dystopian romance than Uglies, Equals hits some familiar notes. The main draw is the film’s cast, which is led by Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding), who play Silas and Nia, respectively. In the dystopian world of Equals, Silas, Nia, and everyone else are emotionless workers. In fact, if anyone starts to show signs of feeling anything, they’re deemed sick. For fans of Uglies, this concept definitely echoes the Pretty surgery, which dulls the City’s residents and makes them easier to control.

The over-bearing Collective, which oversees the world of Equals, starts arresting people who show signs of Switched-On Syndrome (SOS), a “disease” that restores human emotions. While the romance plot of Equals has some fresh spins on well-worn themes, the world-building isn’t fully realized enough to set the movie apart from other genre fare. That is, for those who have read works like We or Brave New World, Equals doesn’t offer too many surprises. A derivative science-fiction story, Equals is elevated — though only slightly — by its central performances and captivating production design.

5 Ender’s Game

Directed By Gavin Hood

A military sci-fi flick, Ender’s Game definitely contains more action than Uglies — but it shares enough DNA with the Netflix movie to be a fun watch for fans of Westerfeld’s work. Based on Orson Scott Card’s classic 1985 novel, Ender’s Game centers on Andrew “Ender” Wiggin (Sex Education‘s Asa Butterfield), a child prodigy who’s sent to a military school at a young age to prepare for an impending war. In the world of Ender’s Game, an alien race known as the Formic’s unleashed a devastating genocide, and humanity is determined to make them pay.

Undoubtedly, the extraterrestrial invasion and epic space battles set Ender’s Game apart from something like Uglies. However, the tenacity that the movies’ protagonists show in the face of their worlds’ controlling powers allow some thematic similarities to shine through. Like other book-to-screen adaptations, Ender’s Game doesn’t delve as deep as its source material, but it still offers a well-acted and thrilling narrative for fans of sci-fi movies to sink their teeth into. Criticized for its tedium, Ender’s Game definitely isn’t as well-paced as Uglies, which fits its story into a 102-minute runtime.

4 The Stepford Wives (1975)

Directed By Bryan Forbes

The Nicole Kidman remake might stand out more in viewers’ minds if only because it’s the more recent adaptation, but there’s no beating 1975’s The Stepford Wives. Based on Ira Levin’s 1972 novel, Stepford Wives is more of a psychological thrille and satire, but it manages to hit many of the same thematic notes as Uglies. In the movie, Joanna (Katharine Ross) and her husband relocate to a small Connecticut community called Stepford, where women are completely subservient to their husbands. While that notion is dystopian, the film is more of a critique of contemporary misogynistic society.

The women of Stepford, with their dull and robotic sensibilities, certainly feel similar to the Pretties. In both movies, the need for absolute control overwhelms the characters’ humanity. Of course, the clever cult classic isn’t necessarily the best Uglies comp title. Despite some light sci-fi elements, The Stepford Wives feels more like a grounded drama. It also isn’t a definitive dystopian (or YA) story. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be surprising if some elements of the film, and its 2004 remake, influenced Westerfeld’s Uglies book trilogy.

3 THX 1138

Directed By George Lucas

Several years before Star Wars, George Lucas wrote and directed THX 1138, a social science-fiction film that has all the hallmarks of a classic dystopian story. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence, THX 1138 unfolds in a futuristic dystopian society where people are forced to use emotion-suppressing drugs. Without a doubt, THX 1138 inspired other entries, like Equals, though its government-mandated suppression of free thinking, emotions, and agency certainly bears a resemblance to elements in Uglies too.

A visually unique work of science fiction, THX 1138 paved the way for Lucas’ other endeavors — but it also feels like a director’s first feature film. With a somewhat simplistic story, the cult classic feels derivative of dystopian fiction, even if it did help translate the genre to the silver screen in a big way. Nonetheless, the bleak menace that Lucas’ movie captures is pretty unparalleled. Unlike Tally’s colorful-yet-controlling City in Uglies, the world of THX 1138 is overtly chilling. Still, for those who want to get back to the genre’s cinematic roots, Lucas’ directorial debut is worth the watch.

2 Never Let Me Go

Directed By Mark Romanek

Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Never Let Me Go boasts a screenplay from Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Devs), which certainly helps the adaptation stand out from other dystopian fare. Set in an alternate history where human cloning was not just developed but heavily relied on, Never Let Me Go centers on three clones: Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley), and Tommy (Andrew Garfield). Growing up, none of them knew they were clones. However, as they age, it becomes clear that they’re insurance policies — copies of people who may need organ transplants in the future.

Like Uglies, Never Let Me Go grapples with fundamental questions about human nature. Of course, for the film’s clones, those questions center more on if they have humanity — if they are being treated ethically or not. In Uglies, human nature is suppressed by the Pretty surgery. But those ineffable human qualities, like agency and individualism and love, come to define both movies’ interpretations of what it means to be human. Beautifully focused and powerfully acted, Never Let Me Go is both searing and sparse, making it a very different watch from the more action-packed Uglies.

1 The Hunger Games

Directed By Gary Ross

The Hunger Games is the best movie like Uglies because it hits all the same notes. The adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel of the same name centers on a teenage protagonist who stands up against her controlling, dystopian society’s ways. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, The Hunger Games also incorporates some interesting sci-fi elements and compelling world-building. Mostly, Tally Youngblood feels modeled after characters like Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who has become synonymous with the genre.

While the first Hunger Games movie is probably the best — it’s a well-acted movie with a taut narrative — the whole four-film saga is worth watching. If Netflix chooses, Uglies could follow in the Hunger Games‘ footsteps and become a complete film series. Both book trilogies begin with standalone stories that see their protagonists empowered and ready to fight back by the end, which leads to epic, government-toppling arcs. One of the strongest and most commercially successful YA franchises of all time, The Hunger Games paved the way for movies like Uglies.