Netflix’s Uglies Ending, Explained

Uglies, based on the book of the same name, has landed on Netflix, starring Joey King as protagonist Tally Youngblood. But how does the movie end, and is it the end of Tally’s story? Here’s the ending of Netflix’s Uglies explained.

How Netflix’s Uglies Ends

Netflix’s Uglies ends with Tally voluntarily returning to the city to be turned into a Pretty, looking out from her apartment window, apparently content with hew new situation.

That might seem like a downer of an ending, but Uglies is the first in a series of books set in the universe, and it’s not until the third book that Tally’s fate is resolved. Whether it gets another movie is up in the air, but here’s how Netflix’s Uglies movie unfolds.

Tally is sent to infiltrate the Smoke, ostensibly to save her friend Shay, and is given a pendant that she can activate to signal Dr Cable. However, she ultimately settles in with the Smokies, those who have either escaped the city or been born outside it.

She meets rebel leader David, and while there’s definitely hints of romance between the two, it doesn’t turn into a relationship. But you can hear Shay’s little heart breaking when she sees David give Tally her gloves, which is a big deal.

Related: All Major Actors & Cast List for Netflix’s Uglies

David’s parents are working on a cure for the Pretty process during the ending of Uglies and reveal the transformation is more than just physical. It causes lesions on the brain, designed to dumb down the Pretties, making them happy and compliant. Also, the orchids the city uses as a power source are slowly turning the planet into a wasteland.

Tally disposes of her pendant in a fire, but she’s unaware this will trigger it, and Dr Cable and her super-powered Specials arrive, killing David’s father. They’re captured and taken to the city but ultimately escape with a now-prettified Shay. And Peris, Tally’s best friend who is know a special, falls off a building to his apparent doom. David’s mom also gets the material she needs to complete the cure, and they’re left needing a test subject for the cure.

Instead of using Shay, Tally volunteers to get re-Prettied, so she can be rescued and cured. As the movie ends, she’s in her apartment, now a Pretty and behaving like one. But she glances at her hand, and we see that she’s still got a scar, suggesting there’s something of the real Tally in there.

How Is the Uglies Movie Ending Different From the Book?

The movie is extremely similar to the book. The only difference is that the book stops with Tally telling the authorities she wants to be a Pretty. The movie continues briefly, giving us that apartment scene. It’s slightly more upbeat than the book’s ending, giving us hope that Tally is dimly aware of her previous life.

And that’s Netflix’s Uglies‘ ending explained.

Uglies is streaming now on Netflix.