When people turn 16, they undergoUglies' Transformation, a surgical procedurethat turns them into “Pretties.”
BeforeUglies' ending, Tally learns that the Transformation has a more sinister purpose.
The cosmetic procedure creates brain lesions, which dull the Pretties and strips them of their individuality and agency.
Brenton Thwaites stars as Jonas, with Jeff Bridges as The Giver.
Just like inUglies,The Giverfeatures a world that’s meant to be free of envy and jealousy.
With its YA protagonist and chilling dystopia,The Giverwill feel familiar toUgliesviewers.
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While dystopian narratives share tropes,Divergentdoes little to stand out.
The over-abundance of pop culture references clouds the film’s core ideas…
Although it’s more of a sci-fi/dystopian romance thanUglies,Equalshits some familiar notes.
Set in a dystopian future where all emotion in humans is suppressed, The Giver follows Jonas, a young man who learns that he will become the next Reciever of Memory, the one person who holds all the memories and emotions of a time before the current suppression. Beginning his training with the current Reciever of Memory, known as The Giver, Jonas begins to experience the full extent of emotions, good and bad, for the first time in his life. Brenton Thwaites stars as Jonas, with Jeff Bridges as The Giver.
In the dystopian world ofEquals, Silas, Nia, and everyone else are emotionless workers.
In fact, if anyone starts to show signs of feelinganything, they’re deemed sick.
That is,for those who have read works likeWeorBrave New World,Equalsdoesn’t offer too many surprises.
A derivative science-fiction story,Equalsis elevated though only slightly by its central performances and captivating production design.
While that notion is dystopian,the film is more of a critique of contemporary misogynistic society.
The women of Stepford, with their dull and robotic sensibilities, certainly feel similar to the Pretties.
Based on the young adult “The Divergent Series” novels, Divergent is the first film in the franchise that follows a girl named Beatrice Prior, who lives on the fringes of society in a dystopian world. Set to join one of the five factions humans are separated into based on their virtues, Beatrice learns that she is considered a “Divergent,” an independent thinker that she fits into none of the factions. Forced to conceal the truth, Beatrice joins the thrill-seeking Dauntless faction in secret, setting her on a path that will change the world.
The women of Stepford, with their dull and robotic sensibilities, certainly feel similar to the Pretties.
In both movies, the need for absolute control overwhelms the characters' humanity.
Of course, the clever cult classic isn’t necessarily the bestUgliescomp title.
Despite some light sci-fi elements,The Stepford Wivesfeels more like a grounded drama.
It also isn’t a definitive dystopian (or YA) story.
The film explores themes of dehumanization and systemic control in a stark, technologically advanced environment.
Adapted from Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name, Ready Player One follows Wade Watts, an orphan who desperately wants to win a seemingly-impossible video game competition that would see him win ownership of the OASIS, a sophisticated virtual reality game that had revolutionized modern life. Helped by his friends and racing against time to find the hidden clues before the OASIS is claimed by an evil conglomerate, Wade’s love of the game is put to the test.
Nonetheless, the bleak menace that Lucas' movie captures is pretty unparalleled.
Unlike Tally’s colorful-yet-controlling City inUglies,the world ofTHX 1138is overtly chilling.
Growing up, none of them knew they were clones.
Never Let Me Gois both searing and sparse, making it a very different watch from the more action-packedUglies.
LikeUglies,Never Let Me Gograpples with fundamental questions about human nature.
InUglies, human nature is suppressed by the Pretty surgery.
Based on the bestselling novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game stars Asa Butterfield as the titular character, a gifted young man from a future Earth who is selected to join the ranks of a vast human army launching a counter-attack on a hostile alien race. Butterfield is joined by a cast that includes Hailee Steinfeld, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis.
The Hunger Gamesis the best movie likeUgliesbecause it hits all the same notes.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future,The Hunger Gamesalso incorporates some interesting sci-fi elements and compelling world-building.
The Stepford Wives is a 1975 science-fiction horror film directed by Bryan Forbes. The story follows Joanna Eberhart, played by Katharine Ross, as she relocates to the seemingly perfect suburban town of Stepford, Connecticut, and becomes increasingly suspicious that the city’s housewives are more than they appear. Based on the 1972 novel by Ira Levin, the film explores themes of identity, conformity, and gender roles.
THX 1138, directed by George Lucas, is a dystopian science fiction film set in a future society where individuality and personal freedoms are tightly controlled. Robert Duvall stars as THX 1138, a man who begins to question the oppressive system after engaging in a forbidden relationship. The film explores themes of dehumanization and systemic control in a stark, technologically advanced environment.
Friends Kathy, Tommy and Ruth grow up together in what appears to be an idyllic boarding school in the English countryside. When they leave school and the horrible truth about the purpose of their lives is revealed, they must simultaneously confront their feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal, which threaten to end their friendship.
The Hunger Games is the first of four in the action-drama movie series based on the novels by Suzanne Collins. Set in a dystopian world where people are separated into twelve districts to maintain order, this first film in the franchise focuses on Katniss Everdeen as she is forced to participate in The Hunger Games: a draconian gladiatorial survival event where there can be only one winner.
