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The Ugly

The Ugly

Representation Score

8.1/10

Excellent

2025

Director

Yeon Sang-ho

Runtime

102 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film stands out by challenging societal stigmas around disability and the moral labeling of women. Through a blind master artisan and a underrepresented mother, it questions traditional views of virtue and ability. However, the narrative remains culturally uniform and lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation. The story is deeply rooted in specific Korean social structures and family history.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Ugly have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on familial trauma and a missing mother. There is no clear depiction of LGBTQ+ characters or identities within the story.

How does The Ugly portray gender?

Good

The story centers on a woman who was historically criticized by her community. A female journalist plays a key role in driving the narrative forward.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Ugly?

Fair

As a South Korean production, the cast is culturally uniform. It explores specific Korean social dynamics without featuring diverse ethnic backgrounds.

How does The Ugly represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative deconstructs traditional social morality by looking at characters labeled as 'villains.' It highlights how communities exclude those who don't fit certain aesthetic or behavioral norms.

Does The Ugly include disability representation?

Excellent

Im Young-gyu is shown as a highly skilled, blind artisan. The film avoids pity, instead focusing on his professional expertise and intellectual capabilities.

Present on Screen

  • Portrays blindness through a skilled, professional artisan.
  • Challenges traditional gender roles with an investigative female lead.
  • Critiques social morality and community-driven stigma.

Limited or Absent

  • No explicit LGBTQ+ characters or identities.
  • Casting is culturally homogeneous and lacks diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Official Synopsis

One day while overseeing a documentary crew filming his blind father at work, Im Dong-hwan gets a phone call that his missing mother’s remains have been found after forty years. Determined to find the truth of her disappearance, Dong-hwan embarks on a twisted odyssey through his family’s traumatic past, uncovering dark secrets along the way.

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