Let's be realistic.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The successful psychologist Dr. Karen Schumaker (Rebecca Hobbs) comes to a mental institution directed by Dr. Marlowe (Roy Ward) to evaluate the dyslexic serial-killer Simon "The Ugly" Cartwright (Paolo Rotondo). Simon discloses the sad story of his life, bullied at school and abused by his mother Evelyn Cartwright (Jennifer Ward-Lealand). His only friend Julie was separated from him by his mother when he was a teenager. Simon claims that he hears voices that force him to kill. When Dr. Schumaker earns his trust, she discovers what is going inside Simon's head."The Ugly" is an original film with a different combination of drama, thriller and horror. The two nurses are nasty and the plot keeps the attention of the viewer until the very last scene. Unfortunately the conclusion is disappointing and gives the sensation that something is missing to be a great film. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "The Ugly- O Maníaco" ("The Ugly – The Maniac")

This New Zealand Movie was a real surprise from start to finish. I expected an ordinary horror movie but already the minimalistic opening and the claustrophobic cold feeling of the asylum are great and somewhat different. The movie is filled with creativity especially visually and that is basically just editing and camera work, barely any special effects except for when The Ugly appear. The movie starts in an asylum with central figure and serial killer Simon incarcerated and bullied by his 2 extremely strange keepers. Simon has confessed his killings and is in the asylum for several years. Since not just his keepers but also the asylum director are not just creepy but a little insane themselves he asks for a new psychologist who comes in. From here "The Ugly" goes a little in the "Silence of the lambs" direction with the female psychologist interrogating him about the background of his murders and Simon trying to get in her head as well as getting out of his troubled mind. Although the whole movie is set in the asylum and most of it in the room the both are talking (watched permanently by the odd asylum staff through a strange window to a room that looks a lot like a small cinema) it works with a lot of flashbacks and cuts to several parts of Simons life relevant for his later actions. This is done in a very creative way.. you see parts from Simons troubled childhood and later scenes until the murders are shown all blending together and mixed with the woman interrogating him, characters and scene elements wildly mixed (like the psychologist sitting beside him in several of his earlier life scenes) and jumping through time. I haven't seen so much creativity in a horror movie in a long time... scenes like young Simon running from his bullies and melting to the later Simon chasing one of his victims are just perfect and many ideas like the black blood, his haunting ghosts and Simon not being the remorseless killer but a rather troubled person with an often oddly scared, repulsed and pitiful expression on his face work fine. Its hard to describe the whole thing but if you think a creative mixture of Silence of the lambs, Elements of modern ghost story movies and the all time best of Slasher Movies mixed together in a very stylish and subtle way this one should be your choice. I sure was entertained from start to finish and "The ugly" has a lot to offer... the acting of lead actor Paolo Rotondo as Simon is great and there is some classic scenes like the bathroom scene and the scene in which Simon attacks the psychologist. Also the whole creepy asylum staff is great but in the end "The ugly" leaves many questions unanswered. I didn't get the meaning of the asylum director and his 2 bullies and the finale is also far from self explanatory, yet different and stylish. So even with some flaws in the script (which is pretty complex and seems to stumble across its many time skips in the end) this definitely is a viewing experience.

New Zealand is not a country that instantly springs to mind when one is asked the question of "which countries make good films", and that's for good reason; as they haven't made all that much. One film they have made, however, is this one; The Ugly. And it's not bad at all. While never brilliant, and certainly not matching the claim on the DVD box (on par with Seven and Silence of the Lambs, this is not), The Ugly still represents a minor success within the overpopulated psychological thriller sub-genre. Getting this sort of movie right is difficult because the auteur needs to find just the right balance between scares and intrigue, all the while ensuring that it remains believable. While Scott Reynolds hasn't managed to pull this off to a massively high standard; he's done well in capturing the essence that the film needs, so kudos to him for that. The story follows a psychiatrist that is brought in to analyse Simon Cartwright; a notorious and extremely mental serial killer. However, as she gets deeper into his mind, she finds it increasingly harder to escape...One thing I love about productions made in countries that don't mass-produce movies is the way that the local accents and dialect always find their way into the movie. The Ugly features lots of thick Australian accents, and it's nice to see in my opinion, as it firmly establishes the movie in it's home country. The film is at it's eerie best when our 'hero' is telling of his crimes and why he committed them. Just like he does with the psychiatrist, Simon Cartwright draws us into his world and it's a fascinating ride to be on. However, this asset is also the film's downfall as the action is never fantastically intriguing, and the plot tends to wander off at times which doesn't allow the viewer to stay in tune with the movie, thereby hindering it somewhat. However, the foreboding atmosphere and interesting array of characters ensure that the film never comes to a complete halt and it's short running time makes sure that the film is efficient and doesn't waste time on needless elements. I certainly recommend this movie, just as you long as you know that it's no Silence of the Lambs.

Simon Cartwright is a multiple-murderer who has been in a mental hospital for the last five years. Karen Shoemaker is an over-ambitious doctor who tries to analyze his crimes through deep conversations about his childhood memories and adolescent traumas. The more Simon opens up to her, the more she's pulled into his introvert and haunted world of supernaturalism. Now, this sounds like yet another typical Silence of the Lambs rip-off, right? WRONG! It's pretty obvious where The Ugly found its inspiration and director Scott Reynolds surely knows his horror classics, but this is NOT just another fanboy-movie with nothing new to add. Reynold's script is very clever and extremely mesmerizing! Although the structure and plot aren't highly original, you constantly have the feeling you're watching an innovating, groundbreaking film. The happenings shown during the flashbacks constantly jump back and forth in time and form an entirely new structure by themselves. It's hard to explain, but fairly easy and interesting to follow while watching it. Not just the structure is fascinating, the pivot-character (Simon) and his background are a lot more interesting than any other TV-killer of the last ten years. Cold-heartedly portrayed by Paolo Rotondo, Simon Cartwright is mysterious and compelling personality who messes with your head! The Ugly actually is one of those rare gems that are scary! At least 5 sequences in this film will keep you on the edge of your seat and make your blood pump faster. These sequences are fairly gore as well, showing blood as black as the night itself. Yet, to point out at least one slightly negative aspect: the ending comes a bit abrupt and maybe it's a little too left open. The Ugly is a modest and rather anonymous production that certainly deserves more credit than it actually receives. Also the DVD-release is very poor with no extras or special treatments. It was made in New Zealand and those productions rarely ever get any attention (aside from Peter Jackson's initial splatter highlights `Bad Taste' and `Braindead'). Too bad, because the horror-industry desperately needs more quality titles such as this. Fans of horror and slick thrillers: check this one out! It's highly recommended.