Yeon Sang ho’s The Ugly strips away spectacle to deliver a slow burning mystery rooted in grief and prejudice. Park Jeong-min carries the film in dual roles, portraying both the son who discovers his mother’s remains decades later and the father who lived through her disappearance. The dual casting is more than a gimmick, it is a study in generational pain, where trauma ripples across decades.
Shin Hyun been adds piercing presence as a confidant, while Kwon Hae hyo offers gravitas as an elder voice. Yeon favors muted palettes and long silences, building unease without resorting to shock tactics.
The result is a film where memory itself feels unreliable, where every pause is heavy with accusation. The Ugly critiques the cruelty of a society that brands people disposable, and asks whether truth can heal wounds carved deep into family history. It is not a film of easy revelations, but one that rewards patience with haunting power. Anchored by Park’s extraordinary versatility, The Ugly lingers like a bruise, tender and impossible to ignore.
The Ugly is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
