Director Yeon Sang-ho, known for "Train to Busan," has premiered his latest mystery drama, "The Ugly," at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film, which had its world premiere on September 9, 2025, in the Special Presentations section, explores a forty-year-old cold case involving the death of a mother, Jung Young-hee.
The narrative centers on her son, Im Dong-hwan, portrayed by Park Jeong-min, who investigates his mother's past. Park also takes on the dual role of his father, Im Yeong-gyu, a celebrated blind seal engraver, while veteran actor Kwon Hae-hyo plays the elder Im Yeong-gyu. "The Ugly" is an adaptation of Yeon Sang-ho's own 2018 graphic novel, "Face."
The production was made with a modest budget of approximately 200 million Korean won (about $143,972 USD) and a three-week shooting schedule with a crew of about 20 members. This approach marks a shift for Yeon, moving from large-scale genre films to a more intimate exploration of morality and societal judgment. The film's structure involves interviews conducted by Dong-hwan and a TV producer, Kim Su-jin, played by Han Ji-hyun, as they piece together Jung Young-hee's fragmented history.
Early critical responses to "The Ugly" have been varied, with some critics noting pacing and structural choices as potential weaknesses. Despite the mixed reception, the film is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on September 26, 2025, distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment. The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 4 to September 14, 2025.
The film delves into themes of buried family secrets and trauma, with Dong-hwan seeking to understand his mother's life and death. The concept of "ugliness" in the film is presented as a reflection of inner nature and societal judgments rather than a physical attribute. Kwon Hae-hyo and Park Jeong-min previously collaborated on the 2019 film "Tazza: One Eyed Jack."