'The Beauty FX' Review: Rogue Models And A Body Horror That's Charring Everyone In It's Wake

Ryan Murphy's last project, All's Fair, left the fans existentially crushed. So, for a man who is often described as "the most powerful man" in modern television and has signed massive development deals with Netflix, the zero rating on Rotten Tomatoes was intolerable. And now, the writer-director is back with another project that might make up for what fans missed in their previous project, and it's "so-bad-it-was-bad" ratings, giving them exactly what they desire. Setting the record straight, Ryan still knows how to make some of the best stories known to the entertainment industry.

We can happily conclude that The Beauty FX is genuinely a triumph. It has a plot, structure, characters that often act, react, and speak as real human beings might, a sense of what it's doing and where it's going, and even whispers, a touch of commentary on the state of society today. Ryan Murphy has taken us back to the old American anthology days and given us the perfect blend of The People v. O.J. Simpson, Feud, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace. The show leases new lives to Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange and other glorious figures, and has us believe that the good times would roll forever. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

The Beauty is unapologetically gory

The Beauty is an eleven-part series in the body horror genre, meaning it is not just gore but also has more than enough 'yikes' moments. It's based on Jeremy Haun and Jason A Hurley's comic book of the same name and follows two FBI agents who land themselves in a bizarre case. They are investigating the spread of an STD (s**ually transmitted disease) that makes infected parties unbelievably beautiful before making them 100 per cent believably dead. 

Yes! The writers of the comic book have satirised unrealistic beauty standards and Ozempic culture, which Ryan Murphy has beautifully adapted for TV screens. However, before we run ahead, let's talk about the opening scene, which already had us glaring.

Bella Hadid is punching people in The Beauty, and here's why

The show opens with Bella Hadid, aka 'Ruby', breaking necks at a catwalk show, punching paparazzi unconscious and smashing up restaurants in search of water to quench her apparently burning thirst. Yes! The gorgeous model is the first of what becomes a patient zero of the epidemic of exploding supermodels across the world. While the newspaper headlines scream "Catwalk Carnage!", the beauties are going rogue, with nothing to stop them.

The chaos erupts the same way, with beauties going lethal before either bursting bloodily all over the streets or turning into literally smoking hot bodies. The world is in panic as models are burning from the inside out, leaving only charred ribcages behind.

The Beauty is filled with social commentary on Western beauty standards 

The case is as bizarre as it gets, and investigating this mayhem are detectives 'Jordan Bennett' (Rebecca Hall) and 'Cooper Madsen' (Evan Peters), who are also lovers, pretending not to be in love with each other. 'Jordan' has recently had breast implants as a belated response to being bullied in school for her "flat chest", showing us that even the toughest of people, including the FBI agents with guns and badges, are not immune to the insidious effects of tyrannical Western beauty standards.

We also get more social commentary in the form of 'Jeremy', an isolated self-pleaser typing with one hand in what looks to be his mother's or his late mother's basement in New Jersey. While his character seems questionable at first as he seeks alternative solace when a camgirl leaves him for a better offer, it also becomes a definitive 'Ryan Murphy is back' moment. While 'Jeremy' tells the plastic surgeon, "I'm lost, I want a purpose. Do you think I should do standup?" The surgeon instead tells him:

"You are an incel, Jeremy. I can make you a Chad."

The origin of the 'beauty that'll char you' virus

As the surgeon explains his plans, viewers and 'Jeremy' finally learn of the virus that could make America aesthetically great again. However, once the virus has been invented, we get more social commentary wrapped attractively in the likeness of tech billionaire, 'Byron Forst' (Ashton Kutcher), also known as 'the Corporation'. Which is now aided by a man known as 'the Assassin' (Anthony Ramos), who is trying to keep the chaos the virus has unleashed under control (and failing). But hey! Who knew that a beauty virus spread by s**ual contact would be so hard to manage?

Isabella Rossellini and Ashton Kutcher are a feast you wouldn't want to miss

While the models are exploding and things are spiralling out of control, we are introduced to Isabella Rossellini, who plays 'Franny Frost'. While it's not clear whether or not she is related to 'Bryon Frost', the acting between Isabella and Ashton Kutcher is definitely a delight. So, if you do watch The Beauty, stick around till her opening scene, which will definitely be worth the gore before that. To conclude, while the storyline is as bizarre as it could get, it's also one of Ryan Murphy's most bingeable works of goodness. 

What are your thoughts on The Beauty? Let us know.

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