Leading international and indie film distributor Well Go USA has acquired North American rights to the TIFF 2025-debuting Korean mystery thriller film THE UGLY just before its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2025. Directed by acclaimed director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan), the film stars Park Jeong-min (Decision to Leave) and Kwon Hae-hyo (Peninsula). The Ugly is slated to hit U.S. theaters starting September 26. 

“THE UGLY is a gripping mystery thriller that explores the dark undercurrents of family and long-buried secrets. With riveting performances from Park and Kwon and a masterfully layered script from Yeon Sang-ho, the film is a powerful testament to the emotional and narrative depth of global cinema. We’re proud to bring THE UGLY to North American audiences this September,” said Doris Pfardrescher, President/CEO of Well Go USA.

Despite having been born blind, Im Yeong-gyu (Kwon) is a master artisan, hand-carving beautiful, engraved seals. One day, his son Dong-hwan (Park) receives a call from the police, informing them that Young-hee, their wife and mother, who disappeared 40 years ago, has been found as skeletal remains. Upon hearing that the mother whose face he’s never known may have been murdered, Dong-hwan begins investigating her death with Su-jin, a producer who has been filming a documentary about Yeong-gyu. Through the memories of those who worked with his mother at a garment factory 40 years ago, Dong-hwan comes face-to-face with the long-hidden truth.

THE UGLY was penned by Yeon, who also produced the project alongside WOWPOINT (Netflix’s The Bequeathed, Parasyte: The Grey). The film is based on Yeon’s 2018 graphic novel Face, which he also wrote and illustrated. 

Eugene Kim, Head of Content at Plus M Entertainment, commented about the upcoming North American release that, “THE UGLY is a particularly special film, as it is director Yeon Sang-ho’s first theatrical release in five years. We could not be more assured about its North American release with Well Go, a veteran in distributing Asian cinema, handling this title. We look forward to seeing how audiences resonate with the message of this film.”  

Yeon Sang-ho made his feature debut with The King of Pigs (2011), the first Korean animated film ever invited to the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. He solidified his position with The Fake (2013), which won Best Animated Feature at the Sitges Film Festival. His transition to live-action films with Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2020) saw both titles invited to Cannes, while his first series Hellbound (2021) was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival. His recent works – including the series Parasyte: The Grey (2024), Hellbound: Season 2 (2024), and the films JUNG_E (2023) and Revelations (2025) – have all been met with both critical acclaim and audience praise worldwide.