The Beauty follows a fascinating story of corruption, desire, and deception, but with such an expansive story, it’s almost undefinable. While Ryan Murphy has found tremendous success in the horror space with shows like American Horror Story and the ongoing Monster anthology series on Netflix, his latest venture struggles to fall neatly into any one category. The Beauty has been compared to The Substance because of clear connections between the ideas of a beautifying drug, but the 11-episode premiere season goes into so much more depth that it’s unfair to continue comparing the two.
When a wealthy billionaire (Ashton Kutcher) unlocks the secret to eternal youth with a drug that effortlessly transforms the subject into their most perfect self, he dreams of becoming the first trillionaire on Earth. However, due to the viral nature of this drug and the explosive side effects, things quickly spiral out of control. Soon, two top agents embark on a mission to unravel the mystery of its mysteries, but things get complicated quickly.
The Beauty Starts Messy & Disorganized, But Quickly Becomes Addictive
Just like the drug being peddled in the show, The Beauty takes time to acclimatize to. The first few episodes immerse the viewer into the world of this story, and it is absolutely insane, but it isn’t long before things begin to make more sense, the characters endear themselves to the audience, and a compulsion to consume more takes over.
It’s a fascinating watch that gets better as the series progresses.
Evan Peters stands out as the star of the series, alongside his partner and co-star, Rebecca Hall, and other prominent figures like Anthony Ramos, who all settle into their places among the new order established in this increasingly greedy and bizarre world. Ashton Kutcher is also prominently positioned, and while his performance is decent, it feels a little stale considering the number of times he has played a version of this same man at this point.
Regardless, The Beauty also introduces a star-studded cast that surprises and delights as new cameos appear throughout, establishing exactly how much influence and sway Murphy appears to have, thanks to his previous successes. And these aren’t mind-numbing, pointless cameos either; they carry weight and often enhance the series. Overall, it’s a fascinating watch that gets better as the series progresses.
The Beauty Under-Promised & Over-Delivered
Like most people who have seen the trailer for The Beauty, I drew comparisons between this series and The Substance. However, within just a few episodes, it becomes clear that despite both existing in the same genre, these projects are worlds apart. The Beauty is a sci-fi masterpiece that explores a range of social and psychological issues with depth and skill. But that isn’t clear from the marketing.
The Beauty is an opulent spectacle.
Thankfully, The Beauty is a grower, and with each new episode, the tension increases. The visuals are stunning and immersive, the story is provocative and innovative, and the performances throughout are worthy of recognition and celebration. Yes, it can feel like a parody, and there is over-the-top humor at points, but the final result is genuinely brilliant and perfectly matches the tongue-in-cheek type of humor that is employed throughout.
This is a series that is so well-constructed and full of extraordinary talent, both in front of and behind the camera, that it is required viewing for anyone with a strong enough stomach to get through the obvious grotesqueries associated with body horror. The Beauty is an opulent spectacle that is so profoundly addictive and completely captivating that it is, without a doubt, Ryan Murphy’s best project to date.
The Beauty episodes 1-3 are streaming now on Hulu, with subsequent episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.
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