Director – Scott Reynolds (The Cult, When Strangers Appear)
Starring – Paolo Rotondo (Power Rangers Dino Charge, The Rule of Jenny Pen), Paul Glover (Spartacus, Power Rangers Ninja Steel), and Chris Graham (Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Release Date – 1997
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 4/5
When I was in high school I snagged a horror documentary as a bonus movie with another horror title that I picked up somewhere. I think it may have been Walmart at the time but I honestly can’t remember. Anyway, this documentary talked about several horror titles from the popular franchises like Child’s Play and Friday the 13th but it also featured some other films that I had never heard of before. One of those films is the 1997 horror film The Ugly from New Zealand.
A friend of mine decided to track down the movies from this for us to check out and got a VHS copy from eBay. I remember digging it but also being a bit underwhelmed by it. The documentary made it seem like it was a lot more gruesome than what it was. Fast forward two decades to me checking my mail when I was surprised to find a copy of the new blu from my friends over at Unearthed Films and MVD. This gave me the perfect chance to revisit it and, like always, I want to thank MVD for sending this one over for review!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a psychiatrist who is sent into an asylum to interview a serial killer. This starts out innocently enough when we learn that he was bullied by other boys and his mother was very abusive. However, the deeper into his past she goes, the more things don’t add up until he finally admits that he sees people. Those that he has killed will tell him to kill. They are persistent and their persistence drives him mad until he finally kills them adding yet another face to the crowd. **Spoiler Alert**
The Ugly is a film that is never really talked about among genre fans but the few times I’ve seen it mentioned it feels like it is embellished to some extent. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the film but even by late 90s standards, it’s not that gruesome or depraved. Hell, I don’t even think it’s gruesome by New Zealand’s standards of the time.
The acting in this one is pretty damn good. Paolo Rotondo gives an amazing performance. He doesn’t come across as menacing or sinister but his emotional range in this film is damn impressive. I would have loved to see him give a little more intensity during the death scenes but his performance is still fantastic as is. The supporting cast is solid but a lot of the characters are generic or very flat which doesn’t give the cast a lot to work with.
The story for this one is very interesting and works for the most part. A serial killer that is haunted by his victims is pretty clever. However, I would have loved to explore more of his life and the time during the killings rather than the random flashbacks. We know what happens before it happens. If we would have followed him through his murders then we would have that sense of unpredictability. It’s still enjoyable but we know exactly where it’s going before it gets there.
Finally, the film doesn’t have imaginative deaths. A straight razor across the throat of his victims is the extent of what we get. We have black blood, which I assume is a censorship thing over there, and some solid make-up effects but nothing that will stick with you once you hit stop on the film. Overall, The Ugly is a solid film that could have been so much more if we had some death scenes that stood out. It’s still a fun film but I don’t feel that is nowhere near as violent as others let on. Regardless, this release from Unearthed is fantastic. Collectors will want to grab this one.
Special Features:
NEW 4K restoration of the film from the original 35mm interpositive
NEW Original Theatrical 2.0 Stereo and 4.0 DTS-HD MA Surround
NEW Commentary with actors Paolo Rotondo and Rebecca Hobbs, moderated by Nathaniel Thompson
NEW Scott Reynolds short films ‘A Game with No Rules’ & ‘The M1nute’
NEW 1997 Radio New Zealand Interview with Scott Reynolds
NEW Isolated Score
NEW Photo Gallery
NEW Original Theatrical Trailer
NEW The Ugly Visual Essay
NEW Collectable Booklet
Reversible Cover
