Everyone wants to be younger and beautiful. It’s perfectly natural to crave what used to be or what never was, and plastic surgery, Botox, serums, and many other workarounds to aging have been introduced over the years to combat a process that can’t actually be prevented. It’s to be expected that, as technology advances, those seeking abundant riches and one thing money can’t buy will come up with even more devious ways to stay young forever. Based on the comic book of the same name, The Beauty imagines such a serum and doesn’t wait long to play out its chaotic, destructive consequences.
The tagline for this show sums it up perfectly: one shot makes you hot. But, of course, it’s never that simple, and it turns out that this mysterious miracle is also sexually transmitted. And it comes with the unfortunate caveat that, in many cases, those who take it get very thirsty, exhibit super-strength, and then burst in a bloody explosion. As a man named as The Corporation (Ashton Kutcher) sends The Assassin (Anthony Ramos) to clean up messes that have been made by the unwitting recipients of this curse disguised as a blessing, two FBI agents, Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) try to stay one step ahead while themselves getting far too close to this very transmissible, appearance- and life-altering drug.
The first few episodes of this series, which is set to run for eleven episodes in its first season, are heavy on the splatter and shock value. Numerous gruesome deaths occur on screen while The Corporation barks orders and The Assassin finds ways to torment those he’s been sent to kill before finally ending their lives. Buried underneath that visually startling exterior, however, is a much deeper and more thought-out storyline that gradually plays itself out through extensive flashbacks and information adding. Premiering three episodes at once is a decent teaser, but spreading the rest out makes the investment of getting into it much more worthwhile. It’s not always – or really ever – a pleasant ride, but it’s undeniably interesting to those who can get past its grotesque shell.
There are numerous Murphy collaborators to be found on this project, starting with Peters and Jeremy Pope as series regulars. Other familiar faces include Jon Jon Briones, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ari Graynor, Billy Eichner, and Ben Platt. Murphy, working in partnership here with co-creator Matt Hodgson, knows how to put all his actors to terrific use, and every name mentioned above fulfills their purpose to a tee. Ramos is having a blast chewing scenery as a sadistic killer, while Kutcher taps into the most annoying qualities he can think of to portray someone who wants to be thought of as a god.
Anyone who has watched a good deal of Murphy’s past works that lean into sensationalism and heightened reality knows that it can be a delicate balance between coherence and camp. There are moments within The Beauty where it feels reminiscent of some of his best work, like Ratched, but, especially for the first few episodes, some scenes feel repetitive and overdone for no particular reason other than to demand attention due to sheer horror. This show isn’t pretending to be anything other than what it is, so anyone tuning in shouldn’t be surprised. Sticking around makes it clear that this is more of a chapter book, starting over from a fresh perspective each installment to offer a new take on this impossibly alluring technology.
Following the mainstream success of The Substance and the general prevalence of body horror, the existence of The Beauty makes complete sense in this current moment. While on its surface, it does sometime appear to be as superficial as its characters who seek only a younger face and body, there’s much more to be gleaned from getting to know these characters and their desperate instincts to survive. The origin stories have an enticing hook to them, and, however elevated and over-the-top its content may be, the storytelling here is top-notch. There’s one important caveat: don’t get too attached to any of the actors since anyone is liable to be replaced by a younger face or explode at any moment.
Series rating: 7/10
