The Ugly
Seen it?2025 | 102 min | Mystery, Thriller
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With a box office flop and middling reviews (53% on Rotten Tomatoes), it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 42 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Korean, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
53% on Rotten Tomatoes, 50 on Metacritic
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsSolid
5 wins and 18 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerWeak
$8 million worldwide
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 257K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho
- Park Jeong-minYoung Yeong-gyu / Im Dong-hwan
- Kwon Hae-hyoIm Yeong-gyu
- Han Ji-hyeonKim Su-jin
- Im Sung-jaeYoung Ju-sang
- Shin Hyun-beenJung Young-hee
- Kim Jae-rokBaek Ju-sang
- Cha Mi-kyungLee Jin-suk
- Joo Hae-eunYoung Jin-suk
- Won Mi-wonEldest Aunt
- Park Myung-shinYounger Aunt