‘Uglies' Ending Explained: Is Peris alive? War in the dystopian world isn't over yet
Contains spoilers for 'Uglies'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Uglies' on Netflix introduces us to a dystopian world where every teenager on their 16th birthday undergoes surgery to become 'pretty'. Tally Youngblood, played by Joey King, is awaiting her turn in a few months to join her best friend Peris (Chase Stokes) and live in a world free from discrimination based on physical looks.
Her plans take a twist when her new friend Shay (Brianne Tju) introduces her to rebellious world where people prefer to embrace their individuality, and age naturally. Dr Cable (Laverne Cox), the ruler of the city, brainwashes Tally into thinking that Smoke is a radical group, planning to wipe out the city. She enlists Tally on a mission to Smoke so that she can track the group and attack them. As planned, Cable succeeds in locating David and his rebels, but by now, Tally has realised that Cable's way of living isn't right. The movie ends with a fight in the city as David, Tally and Maddy try to rescue Shay. However, the battle doesn't end the way you may have anticipated.
What happens to Shay in 'Uglies'?
When Cable attacks Smoke, she abducts Shay and takes her to the city. Against her will, Shay is taken into surgery to be 'pretty'. When Maddy, David and Tally arrive in the city to rescue her, Shay has already been transformed.
It's too late as Shay suddenly likes being pretty. When David and Tally try to take her back, she denies it. She mentions that she wants to be the way she is now. Her transformation is disheartening as she never wanted to be changed in the first place.
Is Peris dead in 'Uglies'?
Peris has turned into an emotionless soldier. He is the one who tries to stop David and Tally when they try to escape. Tally steps in, trying to evoke his emotions by holding his hand and pointing out the latest scar on his palm, similar to the one he had before the transformation.
Just as Peris raises his hand to embrace Tally, David fears he might kill her, just as he killed David's father. And therefore, he intervenes. A physical fight follows and Peris falls off the cliff. Moments before falling, he calls Tally by her nickname, hinting that his emotions aren't totally dead.
The movie doesn't reveal his final fate. He may have survived the fall and it's a cliffhanger to be unfolded in the film's sequel, if any.
What does Maddy steal from Dr Cable's chamber in 'Uglies'?
Before escaping the chamber, Maddy steals a tiny box with a magical element. Towards the end of the film, she reveals that it is nanosynth, the compound that she and her husband needed to complete the formula.
With the help of nanosynth, she will be able to develop a cure that would reverse the impact of Cable's surgery. But it's a long way to go. She needs to conduct medical trials before officially rolling out the cure for all.
How does 'Uglies' end for Tally?
Tally has a chance to escape the city with David. However, she makes a big sacrifice for the betterment of humankind. When Shay refuses to return to her original self, Tally volunteers to be the test subject of Maddy's experiment.
She surrenders to the scouts and undergoes the surgery. In the final scenes, we see her becoming a prettier version of herself. She says that she is at peace and loves being pretty. However, she has retained her scar on the palm that would remind her who she is, navigating her through her mission.
The ending sets up the way for a sequel where David has to return to the city for Tally and take her to the Smoke where Maddy could run the test on her. Maddy has warned that the implications could be fatal, resulting in brain damage or death. We now wait for the announcement of a sequel to see how things finally end for David and Tally.
'Uglies’ is now streaming on Netflix
