Nostalgia Kinky

Unearthed Films has released a special Blu-ray edition of New Zealand director Scott Reynolds’ 1997 serial killer film The Ugly. Grim and nightmarish, The Ugly has mostly sat in obscurity these past three decades, despite no small amount of acclaim. Featuring a solid 4K restoration along with archival and new supplements, Unearthed has given this strange little film a fine release.

Scott Reynolds was born in Auckland in November 1968 to a film-loving family connected to the local suburban Hollywood Cinema. Reynolds became especially infatuated with cinema when he began working as a projectionist at the theater, while just in his teens. When Reynolds was 17, Michael Mann’s Manhunter hit New Zealand theaters. The Ugly takes much from Mann’s masterpiece, as it does Jonathan Demme’s other Thomas Harris adaptation, The Silence of the Lambs.

Before The Ugly, Reynolds found much success as a short film director. Two of these, including his acclaimed Cannes screened A Game With No Rules, are featured on Unearthed’s new disc. Both short films, along with The Ugly, show Reynolds as a highly skilled filmmaker, if one perhaps too indebted to his heroes.

Demme’s Oscar-winning classic left so many copycat films in its wake that it’s easy to see why a low-budget offering like The Ugly slipped through the cracks. Superior to the countless average big-budget Hollywood thrillers of the period, The Ugly is a not-so-original idea told well. Performed nicely by a small cast and written by Reynolds himself, The Ugly is a dark and dreamy debut worth catching up with nearly thirty years later.

A big part of The Ugly’s appeal is found in the two lead performances by Paolo Rotondo as an imprisoned killer and Rebecca Hobbs as his doctor interviewing him about his crimes. Reynolds’ script isn’t all that original, but it offers Rotondo and Hobbs juicy roles to play, and both make the most of it.

Stylistically, The Ugly is depressing looking, with cinematographer Simon Raby’s intentional dreary photography dominating the film. It’s not an easy film to watch, but Reynolds’ thoughtful, dedicated direction keeps things interesting, and at just 93 minutes, it never outstays its welcome.

Unearthed has put together a solid HD home debut, featuring the strong new scan from the original 35mm interpositive. Extras include a new cast commentary track, a Howard S. Berger video essay, the Reynolds shorts, a vintage 20-minute radio director’s interview, and additional promotional material. The package is rounded off with a nice booklet, reversible sleeve, and slipcover. It can be ordered directly from Unearthed or MVD.

-Jeremy Richey, May 2026-