‘Uglies’ ends with a key character’s fate left in limbo

Based on Scott Westerfeld’s dystopian novel, Uglies tackles themes foreshadowing a possible new normal if things don’t change.

The film takes place in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world where people can turn “pretty” after undergoing cosmetic surgery once they cross the age threshold of 16 years. Joey King stars as Tally Youngblood, an “ugly” who discovers a dark secret when she is on the verge of getting the operation done. For those who have read the book, they’ll find the movie’s ending to be different from the source material. Peris’ fate at the end of the flick was a major talking point, and this article breaks down the film’s conclusion, so sit tight!

Uglies spoilers follow!

The film’s events lead up to Dr. Cable showing up at The Smoke with her army of Specials, where they manage to grab a hold of David’s parents, Az and Maddy. Cable is aware of their plan to invent a cure for the lesions (which make Pretties pliable), and after she is not able to get the information out of Az, she instructs Peris to kill him, to which he duly obliges.

Tally and David manage to escape the horror show and devise a plan to save all the Smokies, who are taken to the city to get operated on. The duo arrives in the city only to find out that Shay has already been converted, and while rescuing Maddy, the three of them are captured by Cable. However, Croy saves the day by raiding in a helicopter and rescuing them, and Maddy is able to steal the vital nanosynth required for the antidote to the lesions.

Peris arrives on the scene to stop them from leaving and ends up facing off with David, who is adamant about avenging his father’s death. Seeing that Peris has the clear upper hand in the melee, Tally pushes him off, due to which he falls in the water. After they are in a safer place, Maddy requests a volunteer for developing the cure, for which Tally promptly steps forward.

Tally is then seen to be recaptured by Cable and is turned into a Pretty. In the closing scene of the film, she is at her new place in the city and gazes at her hand with the childhood scar, which serves as a prompt for the viewers that she hasn’t forgotten her objective despite being turned.

While there hasn’t been confirmation yet, Uglies is likely to be the first film in a potential trilogy if Westerfeld’s book series is adapted as it is. The follow-ups, Pretties and Specials, continue Tally’s storyline and also feature Peris, because his falling off the roof scene doesn’t take place in the book. If the creators do go ahead and make it a three-film affair, fans can expect to see the character make a return in all likelihood. Peris is a Special, and their self-healing abilities and superior bone composition might serve as the rationale if he is brought back to life for the future films in the series.

Whether the sequels get commissioned will be entirely in the hands of Netflix, who is infamous for cutting ties if a particular piece of media doesn’t perform up to the (sometimes seemingly arbitrary) expectations of the streamer.