A character was publically murdered in Netflix’sUgliesmovie, but his death in the book was actually way worse. The 2024 sci-fi movie is based on the book of the same name by author Scott Westerfeld, and while it was, in some ways, a faithful adaptation, other aspects of the story were like night and day. While some of these changes may seem small on the surface, they actually have significant consequences within the plot. This is especially true regarding the themes ofUglies, which Netflix subtly altered through changes like David’s father’s death.
David’s dad, Az, was killed shortly after he was introduced in theUgliesmovie. He and his wife Maddie had just explained the Pretty lesions to Tally the night before, causing the girl to destroy her city tracker and unknowingly alertDr. Cable to the Smoke’s location. Once Cable and her supersoldier Specials arrived, they began questioning Az and Maddie regarding the location of their son. When Az refused to answer,Dr. Cable ordered Special Peris to step forward and snap his neck. It was a horrible moment inUgliesbut lacked the impact of Az’s book death.
David’s Father Wasn’t Murdered In The Uglies Book
Az Died While Being Medically Experimented On
David’s fatherdies in Westerfeld’sUgliesbook, but the way it happens is entirely different fromthe movie. On the page, Dr. Cable is undoubtedly evil, and her Specials are more than capable of killing, but she doesn’t go as far as just blatantly murdering anyone. The Specials' mantra is “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to,” which is proven to be true countless times in theUgliesseries. Instead,the deaths caused by the Specials are almost always accidental in some capacity—but that makes them even worse.
Az died when Dr. Cable brought the Smokies back to the city. TheUgliesvillain immediately started operating on those she had retrieved, and Az was the first on her list.She wanted to turn him back into a compliant little Pretty by surgically removing the memories of his years in the Smokeand replacing the lesions that made citizens easier to control. Unfortunately, Az’s memories and rebelliousness ran too deep, and he wound up passing away during the procedure.
Tally and David didn’t find out about Az’s death until they broke into Special Circumstances and saved the other Smokies.
Why Az’s Accidental Death Was So Much Worse Than Murder
This Needless Death Was Deeply Ironic (& Served Uglies' Themes)
As horrible as Az’s murder was in theUgliesmovie, his accidental death in the book left a much more profound impact. Dr. Cable was certainly a villain, but what made her so interesting was that she believed what she was doing was right. She would go to any lengths to ensure that citizens remained compliant since she believed that people being free to think for themselves would lead to the planet’s destruction (again).To Dr. Cable, a few people dying during the operation was completely worth itso long as she kept control.
Of course, this didn’t faze Cable or the city one bit—a dead Pretty is better than a rebellious Ugly.
The irony here is that, while living in the city, Az’s job was to make the Pretty operation safer since a handful of people still died every year. The fact that he wound up being one of them inUgliesspoke volumes. Dr. Cable was forcing Az into compliance against his will, to the point that it cost him his life. Of course, this didn’t faze Cable or the city one bit—a dead Pretty is better than a rebellious Ugly.
Uglies
Cast
In a futuristic society where everyone undergoes compulsory cosmetic surgery at 16 to become “pretty,” Tally eagerly awaits her transformation. However, when her friend goes missing, she embarks on a journey that challenges her beliefs about beauty, conformity, and rebellion, ultimately questioning the foundations of their world.
