REVIEW: 'The Beauty' is an Ambitious Sci-Fi Swing in Classic Ryan Murphy Style

Kevin Verma
2 hours ago
4 min read

A beautiful woman holding a syringe and piece of glass in front of a black and red background. Text reads "Review FX The Beauty" — *The Beauty* © FX

Ryan Murphy is here with another high-concept show with a big cast titled The Beauty. He co-wrote it with Matthew Hodgson and directed a couple of episodes as well. FX has promoted this one in a very peculiar way, to say the least, and has tried to keep a lot under wraps. The ensemble here includes Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, and Ashton Kutcher. It follows an FBI investigation into a product called The Beauty and the side effects it causes.

It is, unmistakably in most senses, a very Ryan Murphy show. His fingerprints are everywhere—from the heightened tone and glossy excess to the provocative themes and genre-hopping ambition. In fact, the episodes Murphy directs himself are arguably the strongest of the season, showcasing sharper staging, clearer intent, and a stronger grip on mood. An interesting genre blend of sci-fi, drama, body horror, and occasional thriller elements, The Beauty looks and feels lavish, with striking costumes, upscale locations, and an overall sense of luxury that makes it clear FX has taken a sizable gamble here.

Ashton Kutcher as Byron Forst sitting in a private jet in 'The Beauty' — Ashton Kutcher as Byron Forst in *The Beauty*. © FX

Murphy hasn’t been on the best run lately, with Monster: Season 3 and All’s Fair drawing mixed reactions, but even his misfires tend to be more interesting than many creators’ successes, and The Beauty certainly falls into that category. Conceptually, the series is packed with intriguing ideas. Murphy has described it as a commentary on “Ozempic culture” and society’s obsession with rapid, drug-assisted physical transformation, echoing themes from Nip/Tuck while pushing them into sci-fi and body-horror territory.

The early episodes are especially strong: addictive, well-staged, and confident in their messaging, with every scene feeling purposeful. There are clever twists, sharp dialogue, dark humor that mostly works, and there are even some winks to other TV shows and celebrity references sprinkled throughout. However, as the season progresses, the show becomes increasingly messy. It bears striking similarities to 2024’s The Substance, and the repetition of certain ideas and scenes begins to dull its impact. The middle stretch is particularly unfocused, wandering off into extended flashbacks and tangents that, while individually interesting, ultimately feel unnecessary. We’re pulled away from the main characters for too long, and by the time the narrative returns to them, the emotional connection and momentum have noticeably weakened.

Structurally, The Beauty is a difficult binge. An odd 11-episode count paired with wildly inconsistent runtimes—ranging from 25 minutes to nearly an hour—makes the viewing experience feel disjointed. The pacing is slow, and the fragmented storytelling doesn’t help. For a series this ambitious and expensive-looking, it’s also surprisingly restrained with violence and nudity, often cutting away to aftermaths rather than committing fully to its skin and gore promises. As the season moves into its later episodes, the scope noticeably shrinks, with much of the action confined to a handful of locations, resulting in less inspired direction compared to the meticulously crafted early chapters.

Anthony Ramos as The Assassin wearing dark sunglasses in front of a building in 'The Beauty' — Anthony Ramos as The Assassin in *The Beauty*. © FX

Performance-wise, the results are mixed. Evan Peters delivers one of his dullest performances in years, lacking his usual screen command, though he does share good chemistry with Rebecca Hall, who, as always, is excellent and sorely underused. Anthony Ramos initially feels miscast but gradually grows into his role, revealing a side of himself we don’t often see. Jeremy Pope is fantastic yet frustratingly sidelined in the second half. Surprisingly, Ashton Kutcher emerges as the most consistent performer, boasting the most layered character and arguably becoming the narrative’s most important character.

The show teases escalating violence and gore early on, but continues to underdeliver as it goes, and the third act occasionally slips into a strangely silly adventure mode that never quite excites. At times, the show feels both lazy and overcomplicated, filled with small, oddly uninspired choices that don’t add up. To give an example, the names of Ramos and Pope’s characters are literally Antonio and Jeremy. It may sound like an insignificant detail, but it shows a glimpse of how odd some of the choices made here are. We also have a lazy cliffhanger that closes the season on an unsatisfying note.

For all its flaws, The Beauty remains engaging, ambitious, and undeniably wild. Its strong opening, thematic boldness, humor, and visual flair make it worth watching, even if it never fully becomes the show it promises to be. There’s still a lot of story to be told, and the show could evolve into something great, but only time will tell. For now, it sits on the lower tier of Ryan Murphy shows.