Just a few months after his show All’s Fair received negative reviews, Ryan Murphy has launched a new series called The Beauty. The show features a stunning cast, including model appearances by Bella Hadid, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and Amelia Gray Hamlin, while Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall lead the story as the main characters.
Peters and Hall play FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett, who are tasked with solving the disturbing murders of several famous international supermodels.
Ryan Murphy’s latest series, created with Matthew Hodgson of American Horror Story, is called The Beauty. The show follows the investigation into the unsettling deaths of several international supermodels. When the deaths become mysterious and violent, FBI Agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett are dispatched to Paris to find out what’s really happening.
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The detectives’ investigation leads them to a strange virus spread through sexual contact. This virus turns people into seemingly perfect physical specimens, but the transformation comes with horrifying side effects.
They quickly find themselves targeted by The Corporation, a powerful and secretive tech company run by billionaire Ashton Kutcher. He’s created a revolutionary drug called ‘The Beauty’ and will stop at nothing – even using a deadly hitman, The Assassin (Anthony Ramos) – to safeguard his vast fortune.
With a dangerous epidemic sweeping the globe, Jeremy, a man on the fringes of society, finds himself caught up in the turmoil. He’s searching for meaning as investigators chase leads through cities like Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York, all in an attempt to prevent a catastrophe that could change the course of human history. The Beauty is a fast-paced international thriller that explores the question: How far would you go to achieve perfection?
The new film, The Beauty, is currently receiving more positive reviews than All’s Fair. As of today, it has a 70% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 30 reviews.
Initial responses to the series have drawn comparisons to Coralie Fargeat’s highly praised film The Substance, but the reactions haven’t all been positive. Metro magazine, for example, called the series “almost impossible to watch.”
Here’s what everyone’s saying about Murphy’s The Beauty:
The Irish Independent
Ryan says the show explores our society’s focus on using drugs for fast physical changes – what some call ‘Ozempic culture.’ That’s certainly one interpretation.
Put simply, the movie is a chaotic and inconsistent disaster. It clumsily throws together elements of a globe-trotting thriller, body horror, and the typical, often irritating blend of over-the-top humor and clumsy satire that’s become associated with its creator.
The Telegraph
I just finished reading “The Beauty,” and it really hit home. It’s a sharp, funny look at how obsessed we are with achieving this impossible standard of perfection we see on Instagram – all the filters, cosmetic procedures, and quick-fix weight loss solutions. The story centers around this amazing, made-up drug that melts fat away with a simple injection, and the scary part is how quickly everyone just accepts it as normal. It makes you think about how easily we’re normalizing things in real life that maybe we shouldn’t be.
Getting sculpted cheekbones is now as easy as a quick appointment, and it’s surprising to see a store like Marks & Spencer offering special ‘nutrient-rich’ meals for people using medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro. The novel ‘The Beauty’ is science fiction, but its futuristic elements are subtle and mostly found in the details.
The Wrap
Though it shares some similarities with Coralie Fargeat’s The Beauty, the film explores broader themes than just that. While The Substance primarily examines how beauty standards affect older women, The Beauty takes on a much larger scope.
Fans of Ryan Murphy will be happy to hear he’s delivered another strong show. It’s well-made across the board – the writing, performances, visuals, and music are all top-notch. In fact, it’s made me rethink how I’ll ever listen to Christopher Cross again!
Metro
Honestly, I went into this expecting it to be a bit of a mess. But wow, getting through all 11 episodes was a real test of patience! It was way more of a grind than I anticipated.
As someone who keeps up with pop culture, it feels like right now is the absolute perfect time for a show exploring quick fixes for looks. With drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro becoming so talked about, plus everyone discussing cosmetic procedures – even Kris Jenner admitting to a facelift – a show about a ‘magic bullet’ for beauty just feels incredibly relevant right now.
“But the result here is shameless claptrap.”
The Independent
Okay, so this show clearly took inspiration from some really good stuff. It reminded me a lot of Coralie Fargeat’s movie, The Substance – especially the way bodies change in messed-up ways, and how it all points to our crazy obsession with looks. It’s like they borrowed some of that DNA to make this show even more unsettling.
The idea of a spreading curse is directly inspired by the 2014 horror film It Follows, where a deadly curse is passed on through sexual intimacy. However, this film doesn’t quite reach the same level of quality as It Follows.
This Disney+ show (available on FX in the US) feels like a typical example of streaming services simplifying their content. The story is overly explained, as if anticipating viewers aren’t fully paying attention.
The Guardian
Ryan Murphy’s previous show, All’s Fair, was widely considered a failure. So, his new series, The Beauty, feels like a major improvement. It actually has a clear story, a logical structure, and characters who behave believably. It also feels purposeful and even offers some subtle observations about modern society.
Simply put, The Beauty is classic, highly-watchable Eddie Murphy – and it feels a lot like some of his strongest films, especially Nip/Tuck.
Variety
Even with a few flaws and some quirky dialogue, The Beauty is generally a fun show to watch. The eleven episodes are a good length – between 24 and 50 minutes each – making them easy to get into and enjoy.
Okay, so this show really goes there. It tackles a lot – how being attractive can be both amazing and a total trap, especially with everyone obsessed with looks these days. It’s also hitting on stuff like the new weight loss drugs, how glued we all are to social media, and the fact that a lot of us never really got a good sex education. Honestly, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster and definitely not perfect, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed after watching it. It’s a wild ride, but a worthwhile one.
The Beauty is available to stream now on Disney+.
The latest issue of Living Legends is now available, and this edition honors music superstar Dolly Parton! You can purchase “Dolly at 80” at newsstands or online for only £8.99.
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2026-01-22 19:21