Club Benefits
Beauty is pain, right? It’s a phrase many movies and shows have tried to turn into a deeper message, with perhaps the strongest contender being 2024’s “The Substance.” Shedding your own skin to become something more “beautiful” is prime material for the most twisted body horror, and it’s a concept that continues to horrify (and intrigue) me when done right. The latest project to tackle this idea is “The Beauty,” a new FX show from Ryan Murphy that revels in the consequences of physical obsession.
- The premise: A Ryan Murphy-helmed thriller where a sexually transmitted virus makes you physically perfect — before it kills you.
- The vibe: "The Substance" meets "The X-Files" with a heavy dose of high-fashion body horror.
- Starring: Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher and Bella Hadid.
- Watch if you like: Twisted sci-fi, "gnarly" practical effects and conspiracies.
- Skip if you: Are squeamish about needles/autopsies or watching with parents (expect lots of sex and gore).
“The Beauty” is actually based on the Image Comics graphic novel by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, which centers around a sexually transmitted virus altering those infected, reshaping their faces and bodies to match society’s idea of “perfection.” While I haven’t read the comic, the show does take some creative liberties to pack the shock value onto the screen.
But above all, Murphy’s vision serves as a cautionary tale about beauty, desire, and the human cost of chasing ideals. I can confidently say “The Beauty” delivers plenty of shocking moments that had my jaw on the floor (especially within the first ten minutes), even if the story isn’t always as original as it aims to be. With the first three episodes dropping tonight on Hulu (Disney+ tomorrow in the U.K.), here’s my honest take on this dark sci-fi thriller.
Plot: What is ‘The Beauty’ about?
“The Beauty” centers on a deadly epidemic tied to a mysterious new treatment. When top international supermodels begin dying in disturbing and unexplained ways, FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) are dispatched to Paris to investigate.
Their search for answers leads them across global fashion capitals, including Venice, Rome, and New York, where they uncover a sexually transmitted virus that reshapes those infected into physically flawless versions of themselves, but with lethal outcomes.
As the body count rises, the agents learn the outbreak is connected to a powerful tech billionaire, the head of a secretive corporation behind a so‑called miracle drug called “The Beauty.” With rival groups fighting to control the outbreak and an outsider pulled in, the investigation becomes a wide-reaching conspiracy that could change the world.
Verdict: ‘The Beauty’ is pain, but there’s not much gain
“The Beauty” is a show that takes the saying “drop dead gorgeous” quite literally. Without much context, we’re immediately thrown into a fashion show in Paris, where one of the models looks particularly unwell. That model is Ruby (Bella Hadid), who suddenly becomes dizzy, drenched in sweat, and plagued by an unquenchable thirst. I don’t want to give away more of the opening ten minutes since it was utterly bonkers and completely caught me off guard, in the best way. But it sets up the rest of the story perfectly, as our two lead characters, Cooper and Jordan, are quickly assigned to investigate the “incident.”
From there, the episode and the ones that follow unfold like a crime drama, as the characters (and we along with them) piece together the reasoning behind the gruesome event, including how it connects to other supermodels around the world who have suffered the same fate. It’s gripping enough to keep you watching, especially when paired with other storylines, like that of a lonely teen named Jeremy who gets caught up in the mess and scheming of The Corporation, led by Ashton Kutcher’s egotistical character.
I also have to give credit to the body horror and grotesque visual transformations. Again, it’s better to leave many details unsaid to preserve the shock value, but it’s undeniably gnarly stuff. Using sex as the vector (and there’s a lot of it in this show) turns one of the most intimate human acts into a transactional means of acquiring something coveted. It’s a compelling hook for a concept that’s been explored before, especially when it intersects with Cooper and Jordan’s deeper connection and how they, too, use physical intimacy to avoid emotional risk.
Still, even though “The Beauty” succeeds as a shocking body horror with something truthful to say, there are too many echoes of “The Substance” and even glamorous thrillers like “The Neon Demon” and “Black Swan.” I also got major “Alien: Romulus” vibes from the way the transformations unfolded (little hint: cocoons). It’s hard to feel truly impacted when you’re constantly comparing it to movies, and I struggled to connect with a single character, likely because the relentless, shocking visuals often overshadow the emotional core.
“The Beauty” is still worth watching if you enjoy this twisting sub-genre of horror, and while many of the characters feel hollow, Evan Peters stands out as someone whose character is actually developed. Plus, given the nature of the story and how the infection is transmitted, it’s definitely not one to watch with your parents since sex plays a huge role in the plot. And in a way, it cleverly mirrors the way society values appearance over substance.
While “The Beauty” isn’t especially experimental in its execution, the concept itself remains intriguing, especially as the central characters investigate the case and we glimpse what they’re dealing with. One particularly unhinged morgue scene shows an autopsy revealing the victims’ bodies literally “cooking” from within, a grotesque moment that perfectly aligns with the show’s marketing slogan, “One shot makes you hot.” Stronger character arcs could have added real heft to the story, but as it stands, the show delivers a perfectly bizarre, darkly entertaining binge-watch.
“The Beauty” premieres with 3 episodes on January 21 at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu in the US, and January 22 on Disney+ in the UK.
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