TIFF 2025 Review: The Ugly

A recently discovered corpse causes Dong-hwan to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of his mother.

While a television producer is putting together a documentary celebrating the life of a blind engraver, the remains of his wife are uncovered, and it would appear she was murdered; her family and former coworkers go on about the ugliness of her face, which made her something less than human to them.  Interviews are conducted that further unravel the mystery as to why, how and who committed the murder.

Used a narrative framing device is the news feature as each chapter revolves around a particular interview.  Flashbacks create a multi-point view perspective, causing the son of the engraver, the television reporter and the audience to piece everything together.  The best part is the bewilderment and horror that Park Jeon-min conveys as the grieving offspring as each twist presents itself and reveals the suffering and abuse inflicted upon his parents.  Equally compelling is the ethically questionable TV producer played by Han Ji-hyeon, who convincingly plays someone who goes beyond thinking just about ratings to being affected by what she learns.

The ending calls into question whether there is an allegorical significance to the movie title because what appears to be the true ugliness is the cruelty and humiliation people are prepared to inflict upon each other.  Filling in the narrative blanks with each interview does make the pacing laboured and the incidents come across as repetitive. Undercutting the thriller aspect to a degree is that the relationship between the son and the TV producer is more intriguing than the one that existed between the engraver and his wife.

The 50th Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4-14, 2025, and for more information visit tiff.net.    

Trevor Hogg is a freelance video editor and writer who currently resides in Canada; he can be found at LinkedIn.