Set in a stylized 2011 (often referred to as 2012 in marketing), The Ugliest Woman in the World (La mujer más fea del mundo) envisions Spain transformed into a "Federal District" (Madrid D.F.). The world is characterized by a dark, satirical obsession with physical perfection, where the capital city serves as a sprawling, neon-lit hub of bureaucratic and aesthetic control. The narrative follows Lola Otero, a woman born into a life of ridicule who undergoes a revolutionary medical transformation to become an irresistible beauty, only to use her new form to systematically murder former beauty pageant winners.

The societal dynamics of the film reflect a cynical extrapolation of 1990s celebrity culture and the rising dominance of plastic surgery. Technology in this future is a blend of advanced biotechnology and "mad science" tropes, represented by the underground surgeries of Dr. Werner. Earth remains the primary setting, specifically a reimagined Madrid that feels both familiar and alien, suggesting a timeline where Spanish governance shifted toward a more centralized, autonomous city-state model similar to Mexico D.F. or Washington D.C.

In terms of predictions, the film captures the extreme commodification of beauty that preceded the "Instagram face" era, though its depiction of instant, perfect surgical reconstruction remains largely fantastical. The political shift to a "Madrid D.F." did not occur in the real 2011, though the film correctly intuited the rising friction between regional identities and central power in Spain. Analysis of this film's future vision is limited in English-language scholarship; most critiques focus on its kitsch aesthetic and dark humor rather than technological foresight.