Ugly

The Ugly is a pretty good movie up until the unbelievable and unremarkable ending. While the story isn't very original, the director is obviously a fan of Norman Bates, it does hold the viewers interest and one is drawn into the story and looks forward to what will happen next. I do however have a complaint about the film. The ending is stupid and as mentioned above, unbelievable. One previous reviewer stated in their review that "some things are better left unexplained". It is my feeling that endings like the one in The Ugly are the result of a writer/director who doesn't know how to end their movie interestingly. It's not clever scripting but bad writing. Overall The Ugly is an okay horror movie. It does have a fair bit of suspense and a couple of good shocks but nothing too noteworthy. Prior to the ending The Ugly rated an 8 but as a whole rates a 5 out of 10.

I wanted to see The Ugly when it was released in cinemas, but I didn't actually get a chance to watch it until I rented it a few years later. Now I regret not seeing it in the cinemas when I had the chance - this movie would have been awesome on the big screen!!

Simon Cartwright, a convicted serial killer, is a patient at a local mental institution under the care of two abusive orderlies and the sadistic Dr. Marlowe. Simon requests outsider Dr. Karen Shoemaker to re-evaluate his mental state, and through a series of interviews she learns more about his past and about his crimes. The use of disjointed and out of order flashbacks tease us with glimpses into Simon's past, and as the movie progresses, we see Karen being drawn further and further into Simon's fantasy world. As she begins to be affected mentally, so too are the viewers.

There's been a lot of criticism over this movie, mostly claims that the characters weren't believable enough or that the SFX were bad. To really appreciate this film you have to pull your mind away from what's conventional and try to see what the director is trying to do. Scott Reynolds isn't trying to follow some set 'horror movie' pattern or copy a particular movie genre. In the movie, "The Ugly" is a monster inside Simon's head, and that's what Reynolds is trying to do- get inside our heads, disturb us and shake us up a bit. This is done through the creepy atmosphere of red and blue colour themes, and the black blood adds to the surreal mood of the movie. Some of the characters are a bit unbelievable but this adds a 'Twin Peaks' feel to the film. And as for the ending, some things are better left unexplained, people!!

This movie is very violent and creepy, and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you like it, tell all your friends about it! I give it a 8.5/10

Being Australian and a horror movie fan I'm always curious to see any made in Australia, or in 'The Ugly's case, New Zealand. It's a real battle to get genre films made Down Under and there have sadly been very few good ones over the years. 'The Ugly' is one of those few. It would be easy to dismiss this from the packaging as yet another serial killer thriller but no, it's actually a HORROR movie with a supernatural element (something which inexplicably seems to have passed by a few people, going my some of the user comments on this page!) I didn't recognize writer/director Scott Reynolds name at first, but later I realized that I've seen his 'Heaven' starring Martin Donovan, another very interesting movie. Paolo Rotondo who plays the killer is unknown to me but gives a memorable performance, and really helps this work, as does the inventive editing and playing with narrative, which deftly mixes the past and present, fantasy and reality. The stylized touches such as the black blood also made 'The Ugly' fascinating viewing. I'm highly critical of most contemporary horror movies, but I highly recommend 'The Ugly'. Great stuff!

The Ugly is an awesome and unknown experience. If you've seen it, it's kinda like you're in on a really good secret. The direction of this movie amazes me. Scott Reynolds definitely has his own style of directing and is a great storyteller. Some of the things he pulls to tell his story actually surprise me. I don't want to get into the plot because the less you know the better the movie is. Paolo Rotondo does an amazing job playing the character of Simon. He comes off as extremely believable. The whole creepy cast is actually good. The orderlies crack me up and Simon's doctor is beyond eerie. The Ugly is one of the best horror films I've stumbled across in years.

The successful psychologist Dr. Karen Schumaker (Rebecca Hobbs) comes to a mental institution directed by Dr. Marlowe (Roy Ward) to evaluate the dyslexic serial-killer Simon "The Ugly" Cartwright (Paolo Rotondo). Simon discloses the sad story of his life, bullied at school and abused by his mother Evelyn Cartwright (Jennifer Ward-Lealand). His only friend Julie was separated from him by his mother when he was a teenager. Simon claims that he hears voices that force him to kill. When Dr. Schumaker earns his trust, she discovers what is going inside Simon's head.

"The Ugly" is an original film with a different combination of drama, thriller and horror. The two nurses are nasty and the plot keeps the attention of the viewer until the very last scene. Unfortunately the conclusion is disappointing and gives the sensation that something is missing to be a great film. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "The Ugly- O Maníaco" ("The Ugly – The Maniac")