Fri Jan 09 17:20:00 UTC 2026: ### Ryan Murphy’s “The Beauty” Set to Explore Obsession with Perfection
The Story:
Ryan Murphy’s new FX series, “The Beauty,” premiering January 21, 2026, delves into the dangerous pursuit of physical perfection. The series begins during Paris Fashion Week with a distressed supermodel and follows FBI agents investigating a string of medical catastrophes affecting beautiful people worldwide. The cause: a miracle drug called “The Beauty,” which transforms users but has severe consequences. The show features Bella Hadid, Rebecca Hall, Evan Peters, Ashton Kutcher, Jeremy Pope, and Anthony Ramos, and explores themes of beauty, obsession, and the lengths people go to for societal acceptance.
Key Points:
* “The Beauty” premieres January 21, 2026, on FX.
* The show is based on the 2015 comic book series by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley.
* Starring Bella Hadid, Rebecca Hall, Evan Peters, and Ashton Kutcher.
* The plot revolves around a drug, “The Beauty,” that transforms users into idealized versions of themselves.
* Ashton Kutcher plays a billionaire funding a black-market version of the drug.
* Themes explored include the obsession with beauty, self-image, and pharmaceutical manipulation.
* Isabella Rossellini appears in a meta nod to her role in the 1992 transformational body-horror comedy Death Becomes Her.
Critical Analysis:
The series taps into anxieties surrounding beauty standards, particularly in an era of readily available cosmetic enhancements and pharmaceutical self-improvement. The casting choices of actors like Bella Hadid and Ashton Kutcher, who have personal connections to the issues being explored, add another layer of intrigue. The show appears to be timed strategically, coinciding with ongoing societal discussions about the proliferation of GLP-1s and cosmetic procedures.
Key Takeaways:
* “The Beauty” will likely spark conversations about beauty standards, body image, and the pharmaceutical industry.
* Ryan Murphy continues his exploration of social issues through the lens of genre fiction.
* The series benefits from a strong cast and a timely premise.
* The show’s exploration of a dangerous miracle drug resonates with current concerns about pharmaceutical advancements and their potential consequences.
Impact Analysis:
The success of “The Beauty” could influence the types of stories greenlit by networks and streaming services. The show’s exploration of societal anxieties around beauty and technology could lead to increased discussion and awareness about these issues, potentially impacting consumer behavior and policy decisions related to pharmaceutical advertising and cosmetic procedures. The series can also revive interest in the themes explored in the original graphic novel and create ripple effects in the beauty and fashion industries.
First Piper 