The movie received nominations for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor among others.
Koreaboo
Korean film The Ugly entered this year’s 46th Blue Dragon Film Awards as one of the most talked-about nominees. The independent film earned 10 nominations, a major achievement for a low-budget project that surpassed 1 million admissions in theaters.
But despite its strong performance and wide public praise, the movie walked away with zero awards, sparking intense backlash online.
The Ugly, directed by Yeon Sang Ho and based on his own graphic novel, tells the story of Im Dong Hwan, who begins uncovering dark family secrets after his mother’s remains are found 40 years after her disappearance.
The film was praised for its eerie atmosphere, powerful acting, and bold themes exploring beauty, legacy, and human cruelty. Many viewers even considered it one of the year’s strongest Korean releases.
That’s why the award-night outcome left many stunned. Fans argued that receiving so many nominations — especially as an independent feature — should have guaranteed at least one win.
- “Now I really understand why the Korean film industry is falling apart…”
- “It’s ridiculous how people curse the industry just because the movie they like didn’t win. If it was nominated in several categories, does it have to win at least one? Wouldn’t that just be giving out awards for the sake of it?”
- “I honestly didn’t expect it to walk away with nothing.”
- “I’m not saying it was some absolute masterpiece, but it’s a movie with meaning in many ways. It’s disappointing that it didn’t win anything.”
- “[Yeon] Sang Ho, you’re okay, right? sob sob”
- “The Ugly is seriously a great film… truly. For me, it’s the best Korean movie of the year. It was made so well, the acting was insane, and the message was great too…”