'The Ugly' Blu-ray Review
- Connor Petrey
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
Updated: May 27
Physical Media Release Date: 04/21/26.
Label: Unearthed Films.
Form of Release: Collector's Edition Blu-ray.
The Verdict: A Must-See
The Ugly - It's Not A Pretty Picture!
Confined to a mental institution, disturbed young serial killer Simon (The Rule of Jenny Pen's Paolo Rotondo) is tormented by cruel orderlies and his own personal demons including 'The Ugly' which compels him to kill. Now at his request, Dr. Karen Schumaker (The Brokenwood Mysteries' Rebecca Hobbs) arrives to discover whether Simon is fit to be released back into society. As the terrifying secrets within Simon's mind are revealed, no one will be left unscathed by the horrors about to be unleashed.
One of the most stylish shockers of the late '90s, this acclaimed New Zealand descent into madness features startling makeup effects from the future Oscar®-winning Wētā Workshop team (The Lord of the Rings trilogy). Both touching and haunting, this film marked the impressive debut for director Scott Reynolds (When Strangers Appear) and, after a long period of unavailability, has now been fully restored to its original colorful, haunting glory for the first time in North America. But be warned... once you meet The Ugly, you may never be the same again.
Technical Review + Personal Opinion:
Coming Soon.
Special Features:
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 The Ugly Visual Essay
NEW Photo Gallery
Trailers
Rotten Tomatoes Scores:
Tomatometer: 40% (as of 04/21/26)
Popcornmeter: 69% (as of 04/21/26)
Physical Release Specs & Other Details:
MPAA: Rated R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Original Release: 1997
Video
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Resolution: 1080p
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono
Subtitles
English
Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD-25)
Digital
Not Included
Packaging
Slipcover in Original Packaging
Playback
2K Blu-ray: Region A
Positives and Negatives
- Negative Audience Reception
+ Positive Critical Reception
+ First Time on Blu-ray
+ x05 Special Features
+ NEW Audio Commentary
- NO Digital Code Included
