The latest series from the creator of American Horror Story is causing a stir
Ryan Murphy’s latest series is here and once again he’s leaving fans ‘disturbed’. The Beauty is a genre-bending body horror, sci-fi, dark comedy-thriller rolled into one, centred around a sexually transmitted virus that turns ordinary people into visions of physical perfection.
However, it has terrifying consequences as supermodels begin dying in gruesome and mysterious ways, catching the attention of the FBI, who send a pair of agents played by Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall to investigate. This leads them to Ashton Kutcher’s shadowy tech billionaire known as ‘The Corporation’, who has secretly engineered a miracle drug called ‘The Beauty’.
The first three episodes of the series are streaming now on Disney+, which is offering a £3.99 subscription until January 28. The streamer has also cut its Disney+ Standard plan to £6.99 (was £9.99) and Disney+ Premium to £9.99 (was £14.99).
The Beauty is the latest series from executive producer Murphy, creator of American Horror Story, Netflix’s Monster and the more recent and critically panned All’s Fair. It reunites Murphy with Horror Story and Jeffrey Dahmer actor Peters, with Ashton Kutcher starring as The Corporation.
The 11-part series also boasts a stacked list of guest stars including Bella Hadid, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Billy Eichner, Isabella Rossellini, John Carroll Lynch, Lux Pascal, Meghan Trainor and Vincent D’Onofrio. Given its body horror nature and plot shining a light on beauty standards, the series has drawn comparisons to Demi Moore vehicle The Substance, with some critics also likening it to the work of David Cronenberg.
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Disney+ has slashed its subscription price to £3.99 per month for three months on the Standard with Ads plan. It’s also offering the Standard plan for £6.99 and Premium plan for £9.99, but the deals expire on January 28.
The Beauty has debuted with a 69% Rotten Tomatoes score, but has been branded ‘delicious’ and ‘carnage’ by some critics, while general audiences are already hooked. The Guardian branded it ‘so delicious you could just pass out’, adding: “Carnage, exploding supermodels, Isabella Rossellini – Ryan Murphy is back at his best.”
In a more mixed review, The Hollywood Reporter said The Beauty ‘isn’t smart or original, but it’s a gory good-enough time.” Fans who have caught the opening episodes have taken to social media since the show’s debut, with some left ‘disturbed’ and ‘uncomfortable’.
Writing on X, one said: “That first episode was wild. I’m so disturbed yet intrigued.”
Another said: “Seven minutes in and I’m already gonna have a nightmare about this.” A third viewer said: “Watching The Beauty and I am very uncomfortable.”
Others branded The Beauty ‘unhinged’, while this commenter said: “Just when you think Ryan Murphy’s mind couldn’t get any weirder, it does.”
The Beauty is streaming now on Disney+ and comes as Netflix gears up for the fourth season of Bridgerton, launching January 29. Meanwhile, Prime Video’s new mystery thriller, Vanished, starring Kaley Cuoco, Sam Claflin, lands on February 1.
