The Ugly

With The Ugly, renowned filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho takes an unexpected turn into the realm of intimate realism — without losing sight of the dark, socially conscious perspective that defines his work. Known for visceral genre pieces like The King of Pigs, Train to Busan, and Psychokinesis, Yeon here adapts his own debut graphic novel (Face) into his first low-budget indie feature, shot in just three weeks with a skeleton crew of twenty. The result is a stripped-down yet strikingly crafted film that reaffirms his fascination with the marginalized and morally complex.

The Ugly follows Dong-hwan (Park Jeong-min), a young man searching for answers about his mother’s mysterious past. Park skilfully portrays both Dong-hwan and the younger version of his father, Yeong-gyu (in flashbacks), a blind stamp carver obsessed with the beauty he cannot see. The film quietly interrogates what beauty really means — who defines it, who owns it, and what it conceals. Ironically, the film’s clearest insights on beauty come from its blind characters, further challenging the audience’s assumptions.

Despite its naturalistic setting, The Ugly retains Yeon’s signature moral ambiguity. Characters shift between sympathy and suspicion, complicating traditional narratives of guilt and virtue. What begins as a personal mystery opens up to broader questions of social resentment, morality, and the enduring weight of the past.

A stark, humanistic departure for Yeon, The Ugly may surprise longtime fans — but it resonates with the same uncompromising vision that has shaped his career.

GIOVANNA FULVI