Ryan Murphy's latest series, The Beauty, marks a return to form after the disastrous All's Fair, which received a zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The new 11-part body horror show, based on the comic by Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley, follows FBI agents investigating a sexually transmitted virus that makes people spectacularly beautiful before killing them.
The series opens with model Bella Hadid causing chaos at a catwalk show, punching paparazzi and smashing restaurants, as part of an epidemic of 'exploding supermodels'. The virus, created by tech billionaire Byron Forst (Ashton Kutcher), spreads through sexual contact and is intended to make America 'aesthetically great again'. Agents Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) and Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) lead the investigation while navigating their own relationship.
Murphy weaves social commentary on beauty standards and Ozempic culture into the gory narrative. Jeremy (Jeremy Pope), an incel transformed into a 'Chad' by the virus, and Isabella Rossellini as Franny Forst add to the cast. The show balances horror with satire, offering a bingeable experience that recalls Murphy's earlier successes like Feud and The Assassination of Gianni Versace.
