Ryan Murphy is on a roll! Two months after All's Fair landed on Disney+, the television mogul has dropped another star-studded show. Released on Thursday, The Beauty – a sci-fi horror series starring Ashton Kutcher, Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall – has debuted on the platform. Making its debut with a three-episode premiere, The Beauty, which is based on the comic book of the same name, takes place in a world where ordinary people are transformed into physically perfect beings as a result of a sexually transmitted virus.
Hailed as one of the 'wildest shows of the year', fans have already taken to X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions, and after binging the first three episodes, the response has been largely positive. "Somehow, episodes 2 and 3 of The Beauty are even crazier than the first. Like I'm [expletive] hooked. It's giving AHS but the good seasons," raved one. "Oh, #TheBeauty is good so far!" added another.
Meanwhile, a third tweeted, "This show is insane in the best way! #TheBeauty #TheBeautyFX," and a fourth noted: "TheBeauty is a sexy, bloody mess - in a good way! Hooked already @Hulu."
What is The Beauty about?
Disney+ has released an official synopsis. It reads: "In FX's The Beauty, the world of high fashion turns dark when international supermodels begin dying in gruesome and mysterious ways. FBI Agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) are sent to Paris to uncover the truth. As they delve deeper into the case, they uncover a sexually transmitted virus that transforms ordinary people into visions of physical perfection, but with terrifying consequences.
"Their path leads them directly into the crosshairs of The Corporation (Ashton Kutcher), a shadowy tech billionaire who has secretly engineered a miracle drug dubbed 'The Beauty,' who will do anything to protect his trillion-dollar empire – including unleashing his lethal enforcer, The Assassin (Anthony Ramos). As the epidemic spreads, Jeremy (Jeremy Pope), a desperate outsider, is caught in the chaos, searching for purpose as the agents race across Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York to stop a threat that could alter the future of humanity. The Beauty is a global thriller that asks: what would you sacrifice for perfection?"
A series which boasts an incredible list of guest stars, fans can also expect to see Amelia Gray Hamlin, Ari Graynor, Bella Hadid, Ben Platt, Billy Eichner, Isabella Rossellini, Jaquel Spivey, Jessica Alexander, Jon Jon Briones, John Carroll Lynch, Julie Halston, Lux Pascal, Meghan Trainor, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Peter Gallagher and Vincent D'Onofrio in The Beauty.
What are critics saying about the show?
The Beauty has received a 'Certified Fresh' score of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the compelling plotline. "In short, The Beauty is a return to bingeable Murphy goodness (and a harking back, subject-wise, to arguably some of his best work, Nip/Tuck)," wrote The Guardian. Likewise, TV Insider remarked: "The Beauty is about as subtle as a root canal without Novocain, but thankfully it's a lot more fun. If you can stomach it."
Echoing this sentiment, the London Evening Standard declared: "Silliness and high camp is part of the tried and tested Murphy formula. You may not want to contract The Beauty fever, but after binging those first few episodes you'll be addicted to this super hot mess."