The Ugly (2025) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
One day while overseeing a documentary crew filming his blind father at work, Im Dong-hwan gets a phone call that his missing mother’s remains have been found after forty years. Determined to find the truth of her disappearance, Dong-hwan embarks on a twisted odyssey through his family’s traumatic past, uncovering dark secrets along the way.
Rated NR • 2025 • 1h 42m
The Ugly (2025) is a bleak, adult-minded family drama about Im Dong-hwan unraveling the truth behind his mother Jung Young-hee’s decades-old disappearance while filming his blind father Lim Yeong-gyu. The film earned its mature feel from strong thematic material — murder, sustained humiliation, and social cruelty — plus a non-graphic but intense on-screen confession and flashbacks of violence. Parents should be aware of a non-graphic… Sign up for the full guide
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Is The Ugly appropriate for kids?
The Ugly (2025) is a bleak, adult-minded family drama about Im Dong-hwan unraveling the truth behind his mother Jung Young-hee’s decades-old disappearance while filming his blind father Lim Yeong-gyu. The film earned its mature feel from strong thematic material — murder… Read more — free account
Content severity in The Ugly
What happens in The Ugly, moment by moment
- 0:07 🔥 Mature Themes 4/10
- 0:15 🍷 Substances 2/10
- 0:23 🔥 Mature Themes 5/10
Sex and nudity in The Ugly
Light touch: the film contains off-screen references to sexual assault (a coworker raped by Baek Ju-sang) and one brief moment of breast nudity presented non-sexually (IMDb Parents Guide notes this). There is no explicit sex scene; the sexual material is discussed or implied in flashbacks and testimony.
Violence and gore in The Ugly
Strong and emotionally intense but not graphically gory: multiple scenes show workplace bullying and a violent beating, a drunken strangulation murder by Lim Yeong-gyu (presented without close-up gore), and the later disposal/discovery of a body. Violence is domestic and personal rather than stylized action, and blood is limited; several scenes are nevertheless upsetting and sustained.
Language in The Ugly
Mild but frequent: characters use scatological slang, vulgar expressions and harsh insults, especially in scenes where factory workers and townspeople mock Jung Young-hee (she is called a derogatory nickname repeatedly). The insults contribute to the film’s theme of public cruelty.
Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in The Ugly
Mild: occasional scenes of smoking and characters drinking alcohol; one key sequence shows Baek Ju-sang getting Yeong-gyu drunk the night that leads to violence. Substance use is realistic and tied to coercion/embarrassment rather than glamorized.
Mature themes in The Ugly
Strong and adult: the film centers on murder, long-buried abuse, social ostracism for perceived 'ugliness', grief, and moral ambiguity as Dong-hwan decides whether to protect his father’s public image. Thematically heavy material includes emotional trauma, victim-blaming, and the consequences of collective cruelty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Ugly appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests The Ugly is best for ages 13+. It's rated NR. The Ugly (2025) is a bleak, adult-minded family drama about Im Dong-hwan unraveling the truth behind his mother Jung Young-hee’s decades-old disappearance while filming his blind father Lim Yeong-gyu. The film earned…
What age rating does The Ugly have?
The Ugly is officially rated NR. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 13+.
What is The Ugly about?
The Ugly (2025) is a bleak, adult-minded family drama about Im Dong-hwan unraveling the truth behind his mother Jung Young-hee’s decades-old disappearance while filming his blind father Lim Yeong-gyu. The film earned its mature feel from strong thematic material — murder, sustained humiliation, and social cruelty …
Is there sex or nudity in The Ugly?
Light touch: the film contains off-screen references to sexual assault (a coworker raped by Baek Ju-sang) and one brief moment of breast nudity presented non-sexually (IMDb Parents Guide notes this). There is no explicit sex scene; the sexual material is…
How violent is The Ugly?
Strong and emotionally intense but not graphically gory: multiple scenes show workplace bullying and a violent beating, a drunken strangulation murder by Lim Yeong-gyu (presented without close-up gore), and the later disposal/discovery of a body. Violence is…
Is the language in The Ugly appropriate for kids?
Mild but frequent: characters use scatological slang, vulgar expressions and harsh insults, especially in scenes where factory workers and townspeople mock Jung Young-hee (she is called a derogatory nickname repeatedly). The insults contribute to the film’s…
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in The Ugly?
Mild: occasional scenes of smoking and characters drinking alcohol; one key sequence shows Baek Ju-sang getting Yeong-gyu drunk the night that leads to violence. Substance use is realistic and tied to coercion/embarrassment rather than glamorized.
What mature themes appear in The Ugly?
Strong and adult: the film centers on murder, long-buried abuse, social ostracism for perceived 'ugliness', grief, and moral ambiguity as Dong-hwan decides whether to protect his father’s public image. Thematically heavy material includes emotional trauma…
How long is The Ugly?
The Ugly runs 102 minutes, directed by Yeon Sang-ho, released in 2025.
Where can I read the full The Ugly parent guide?
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