Joey King in McG's serviceable Netflix adaptation for young adults

A brave young woman fights against a repressive society in a dystopian future while honing her archery skills. No, that's not it The Hunger Gamesbut Netflix's latest sci-fi young adult novel, based on the 2005 bestselling novel by Scott Westerfield, which spawned several sequels. Joey King plays the lead role in this film adaptation directed by McG, and while Ugly will not erase anyone's memory of the aforementioned film series, but it turns out to be quite a gripping thriller that should appeal to younger viewers.

Hard-working Joey King (the Kissing booth Series, The law, We were the lucky ones) plays the central role of Tally, who lives in a futuristic world where all residents are required to undergo plastic surgery at the age of 16 (this doesn't seem such a far-fetched idea these days). The residents are referred to as “ugly” before being transformed into “pretty”. Not that Tally objects, as she tells us at the beginning of the film.

“All my life I wanted to be pretty. I thought this would change everything,” she says. Shortly before her 16th birthday, Tally excitedly compares possible future versions of herself in front of an AI mirror. In the days before her operation, she practices staying upright on a hoverboard (a touch of Harry Potter) with her best friend Shay (Brianne Tju).

Tally's excitement about her impending transformation begins to fade when she tells her friend Peris (Chase Stokes, Outer banks) after receiving the prescribed treatment. While he looks stunning, he seems to have changed; he is no longer interested in her friendship or his old interests. And then Shay tries to talk her out of the operation, telling her that she is running away to join a rebel society called “Smoke.”

Not long after, the society's leader, Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox, who revels in villainy), orders Tally to go on a secret undercover mission to join the Smoke and become an informant or risk never becoming a Pretty. She reluctantly complies and soon makes her way to the Smoke, which resembles a utopian nature commune. There she reunites with Shay and meets the handsome David (Keith Powers), who takes her under his wing and drives the film's chaste romantic subplot.

It doesn't take long for Tally to realize that she has lived in a society where free speech reigns. She returns home and gathers her friends to join her in the fight. “You want to be rebels?” she asks. “Today is your day.”

It's all as familiar as it sounds, but thanks to McG's deft, fast-paced direction, the imaginatively elaborate CGI effects, and King's impressive performance, you get by just fine. It's hard not to think the material is beneath her, even though she's an avowed fan of the source material and serves as one of the film's executive producers. But she's such an appealing, likable performer that you can't help but get invested in her character waking up and realizing she lives in a society where people have no control over their own bodies. It's a topic that seems all too timely in the current political climate.