Netflix’s Uglies is about to take us back to the Hunger Games era

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As a gamer with a soft spot for dystopian YA novels and a heart full of nostalgia for the early 2010s, I must confess that the trailer for Netflix’s adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies” has stirred up a whirlwind of emotions in me.

15 years ago, Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games books took the teen literature world by storm, sparking a trend of YA dystopian stories. These narratives often focused on a young girl battling against an unjust system, and at the same time, grappling with a significant romantic decision between two contrasting males.

Scott Westerfeld’s series “Uglies,” initially published in 2005, preceded Collins’ by several years and originally planned as a trilogy, but has since grown into an eight-book series. However, it took over two decades for a screen adaptation to materialize. The recently released trailer for the Netflix “Uglies” series brings back memories of the peak era of YA movie adaptations from 10 years ago, such as “Divergent,” “Maze Runner,” “The Fifth Wave,” “The Giver,” “The Darkest Minds,” and others. The futuristic setting with its polished CGI feels reminiscent, as does the stern character portraying the oppressive regime (performed by Laverne Cox from “Orange Is the New Black”), the conflicted teen protagonist (Joey King of “The Princess”), and the choice between handsome male leads.

The Uglies series is less immediately obvious about its dystopian setting than many of these other series: It takes place in a post-scarcity future where teenagers live in a sort of perpetual high-tech party, zipping around on hoverboards and playing high-tech games. Everyone has everything they need, and everyone is conventionally beautiful in a samey sort of way, because they all have surgery at age 16 to iron out all their idiosyncrasies. But Tally (King) discovers the dark truth behind the mandatory surgeries, which pushes her into a game she doesn’t want to play.

For those curious, it’s simple enough to discover the plot twist on the internet, and it’s clear how it critiques conformity, superficial beauty norms, and emphasizes individualism. However, if you haven’t previously read the Uglies series and are looking forward to a nostalgic dive into young adult dystopia literature, it would be more rewarding to approach it without knowing the twist and see if you can predict it yourself.

In a new twist, McG (known for directing the contemporary Charlie’s Angels adaptations and Terminator: Salvation) is listed as the series director. The ensemble includes Keith Powers, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Jan Luis Castellanos, Charmin Lee, along with King and Cox.

Uglies will debut on Netflix on Sept. 13.

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2024-08-08 20:48