"The Ugly" is inventively directed, challengingly structured (it doesn't follow any straight chronological line; it continuously mixes the present with the recent past, and then the recent past with the dim past), disturbing and has at least one incredibly suspenseful scene (the one where the killer is hiding in the bathroom). But it is also more pretentious than it has to be, with some serious slip-ups along the way (it has at least five "false scares" too many, and even a "double false scare"), and offers no new insights into the mind of a serial killer (abusive mother, bullies in the school, he hears voices, etc.). Scott Reynolds is undoubtedly a talented director and I would be interested in seeing more from him, but hopefully in his other films he has put the direction more in the service of the story. (**1/2)
