Hey friends, Barbarella here. Have I ever told you how much I love Korean cinema? Of course I have. The Ugly is yet another example of how beautifully a story can be told without relying on the voice-over narration that so many films coming out these days are apt to do. Well Go USA released the award-nominated film digitally Tuesday, March 10, and it’s worth a watch if you enjoy good storytelling. It will land on BluRay and DVD exclusively through Amazon on May 26.
When Dong-hwan‘s mother’s remains are discovered after she’s been missing for forty years, he goes on a mission to find out what happened to her. Determined to uncover the truth of her disappearance, he embarks on a twisted odyssey through his family’s traumatic past, uncovering dark secrets along the way. He is joined by the documentary filmmaker who’d been doing a story on his blind father’s nearly miraculous ability to make incredibly beautiful stamps, but she may have her own motives for accompanying him.
Broken into “interviews,” the story takes its turns through the past, all while exposing family secrets, bad employers, and those special kinds of relatives that might make you laugh or maybe just cringe.
Everything is assembled so beautifully. The cinematography, the editing, the choices made to mask the mom’s face in scenes where she appears all elevate the film’s intrigue. Even though it’s not a fast-paced film, it proves riveting. Despite the fact that Dong-hwan is accompanied by a documentary crew, the film is not shot documentary style. This allows it to move through the story with grace and humor, the latter of which frequently emerges through the audacity of family and coworkers as they describe their recollections and experiences of Dong-hwan’s mother.
Director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Peninsula) uses the story to examine generational grief and guilt, taking audiences on a journey that leaves a lasting impression. I absolutely love so many aspects of this film, including the way I feel like it punches me in the gut at the end.
Park-Jeong-min gives a powerful performance as Dong-hwan, the man who learns that his mother didn’t abandon her family when he was a baby, but that something more sinister may have been involved. He reveals much about his own personality through his reactions to what he is told by the array of personalities he encounters throughout his search for the truth. Kwon Hae-hyo plays his blind father who, despite his disability, finds beauty fascinating and believes he has a penchant for sensing and creating the beautiful.
Garnering 10 nominations at the 2025 Blue Dragon Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Yeon Sang-ho), Best Actor (Park Jeong-min), Best Screenplay (Yeon Sang-ho), Best Supporting Actress (Shin Hyeon-bin), and Best Supporting Actor (Kwon Hae-hyo), The Ugly is the kind of film that grips you and doesn’t let go until the last frame. Check it out on digital now, or grab a BluRay or DVD on Amazon May 26.
