It’s been a hot second since we’ve gotten a new film adaptation of a major dystopian YA book franchise. Enter: Uglies. The Netflix movie is based on Scott Westerfield’s scifi novel series of the same title. Many fans are eager to see how this post-scarcity dystopian world plays out on screen. And after watching the first film, I can tell you that it absolutely did not disappoint!
The story follows Tally Youngblood (Joey King) a student who lives in a dorm as she awaits her 16th birthday. At the age of 16 is when people in this world undergo cosmetic surgery in order to become Pretty, and live in the city with the rest of the Pretties. Tally’s always dreamt of becoming Pretty, and finally joining her friend, Peris (Chase Stokes) on the other side. But when a new friend named Shay (Brianne Tju)—whom Tally grows close to—decides to forego the surgery, Tally goes on a journey to find her and bring her back.
For the most part, the movie sticks to the same basic premise and storyline of the book. However, there are quite a few changes to the lore, minor plot lines, and some of the characters. But there’s no cause for worry, because the heart of the story is still very much there. And, TBH, the tweaks work! Here are all the key differences between the Uglies book and the movie. Warning: spoilers ahead!
The setting:
- In the book: The divide is very clear between the pre- and post-surgery humans. The dorm that Tally and the other Uglies live in is located in a place called Uglyville. It’s right outside of Pretty Town—where Pretties live and party day and night.
- In the movie : While the divide is still very much present, and the term Uglies and Pretties are still used, the movie never names “Uglyville” and “New Pretty Town.” Instead, they call Pretty Town “the city”.
Peris:
- In the book: Peris is Tally’s childhood friend who turns Pretty a few months before the novel begins. He and Tally share the same scar, which they swore they would keep even after their surgeries. Readers don’t meet him until Tally goes on a secret mission to visit him in Pretty Town. Tally finds him, but Peris isn’t exactly happy to see her. He’s not the same, and he didn’t keep his promise about the scar. He insists that she return to the dorms so she doesn’t hurt her chances of getting the surgery. He helps her bungee out of Pretty Town.
- In the movie : We meet Peris a day before his graduation and surgery, and get a deeper sense of his friendship with Tally. But it’s also obvious that there is some romantic tension between the two, which is why it hurts more when he neglects to stay in touch after he gets his surgery. Tally still goes on the secret mission to visit him, and—just like in the book—Peris didn’t keep his scar. As Tally tries to keep the conversation going, Wardens (Pretty Town police) are alerted by her presence. She escapes because she almost gets caught—not because of Peris’s insistence. He doesn’t help her either.
Shay:
- In the book: Tally meets Shay hiding in the bushes, because she too wants to sneak into New Pretty Town to try and reunite with her friends who’ve already undergone the Pretty procedure. She becomes drawn to Tally because of her daredevil antics, and the two forge a friendship. Shay teaches Tally how to use a hoverboard, and have their fun in the days leading up to their surgery (because they coincidentally share the same birthday).
- In the movie: Shay is the one who rescues Tally, flying in on a hoverboard, just as she is almost caught by a Warden. This moment brings them together, and they do end up bonding over hoverboarding. But this isn’t the only thing that Shay imparts on Tally. She lends her a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, which opens Tally’s mind to what the world used to be like during the time of the Rusties (a.k.a. we, the people of the 21st century).
Tally + Dr. Cable’s First Encounter:
- In the book: On the day of her birthday and her surgery, the city’s secret police postpones Tally’s surgery and takes her to meet Dr. Cable—the woman in charge of Pretty Town. Dr. Cable tells her that she and the authorities have been after Shay for months. They want to find out where she’s going and catch the other runaways. This is when they enlist Tally’s help to search for her friend and the other rebels. Fearing a life of ugliness—and also after speaking with Peris—Tally reluctantly agrees.
- In the movie: Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox) doesn’t just say that Shay ran away. She goes as far to say that she believes that Shay is in danger because of a man named David who leads the group of runaways. She convinces Tally that there is also a weapon being built to wipe out the city, and that only she can put a stop to it. Cable also enlists the help of Peris to push Tally to help the city out.
David:
- In the book: David is one of the leaders of the rebel encampment called the Smoke. He’s the one who shows Tally around the commune they’ve built, and the beauty of life beyond being focused on your appearance.
- In the movie: David is made out to be the leader of the Smoke. He’s the one who brings in new recruits, and generally manages the commune. He’s also the main target of Dr. Cable and her people, because they believe that he’s the real threat.
White Tiger Orchids:
- In the book: White tiger orchids are a highly-durable invasive species of orchid genetically engineered by the Rusties. They spread wildly outside of the city. And though they are pretty, they are actually harmful to the environment. They kill the biodiversity, destroying every other plant and vegetation in their path. Rangers are Pretties that are tasked with spreading fires to try and kill the orchids.
- In the movie: The Rangers and Pretties aren’t the ones killing the white tiger orchids. In the lore of the film, they are a sustainable source of energy, necessary to sustain the city. It’s actually the people from the Smoke who burn the fields of orchids, because they want to restore the natural order and biodiversity of the wild.
Peris’ Role in Uglies:
- In the book: Peris is Tally’s best friend, and we don’t really catch him in a lot of the action in the first book Uglies. He, however, plays a bigger role in the sequels Pretties and Specials.
- In the movie: Cable orders an added special procedure to ensure that Peris no longer has any emotional attachments to Tally. She turns him into a new and improved Scout—super-soldiers that serve the interest of the city. He’s faster, stronger, and even more brainwashed than the Scouts before him. However, in following Cable’s orders, Peris suffers a great fall off of a building into a rushing river. His fate is still unknown.
The Smoke Raid:
- In the book: When Special Circumstances (the city’s police force in the books) raids the Smoke and burns everything to the ground, David and Tally manage to escape. Only later does David realise that his parents are missing. He and Tally hatch a plan to save the Smokies. Once they are able to infiltrate Special Circumstances’s headquarters, David learns that his father died from an experiment that tried to erase his memories.
- In the movie: Scouts raid and burn the camp, but there’s a scene where they keep all the hostages where David and Tally are able to see them. Dr. Cable confronts David’s parents, as her former colleagues who used to perform the cosmetic surgeries on Pretties. She, once again, emphasises the dangerous nature of their son and his leadership of the Smoke. This is when Cable makes a move to draw David out. She has Scout Peris kill his father, Az.
Tally’s Ending:
- In the book: After their narrow escape, David’s mother Maddy needs to conduct experiments in order to perfect the cure for the brain lesions that cause Pretties to forget themselves. For this to work, she needs willing subjects. Shay, who they were able to rescue, cannot consent because she’s a brainwashed Pretty. So Tally decides to sacrifice herself, turn herself in for the surgery, but gives Maddy her consent before her departure. This is also when she decides to confess to David about her role in the Smokies’ capture, and her initial intentions to infiltrate the camp. This makes David upset, and he runs away.
- In the movie: When the confrontation happens between Dr. Cable and David’s parents, and Az is killed, David and Tally are forced out of hiding. Cable outs Tally as her inside girl, and thanks her for leading them to the Smoke. This is when the Smokies, including David, feel betrayed. However, after David and Tally manage to escape from Cable and the Scouts, they still work together to rescue their friends. And after the successful rescue, when Tally decides to sacrifice herself just as she did in the novel, it is clear that David still admires and respects her.
Uglies is available on Netflix now
Jasmine Ting is a Filipino journalist based in New York City. You can spot her either at the movie theater for the latest A24 release, on the couch binge-watching the latest K-dating show, or on the 7 train listening to her latest audible obsession (be it music or a podcast). To see what she’s up to when she’s not plopped in front of a big screen, follow her on Instagram @jasminepting.
