Ryan Murphy’s new series The Beauty (premiering Jan. 21 at 9:00 p.m. EST on Disney+ in Canada, with new episodes every Wednesday) is explosive, literally, with the show’s story centring around the circulation of a sexually transmitted virus that changes a person’s physical appearance, but is causing human bodies to explode. Starring Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher, Jeremy Pope and Anthony Ramos, the American Horror Story creator has given us body horror mixed with a societal satire, looking at how far people are willing to go to achieve their “perfect” body.
“I think that Ryan Murphy has a nose for the Zeitgeist and what is current, and what we’re all talking about, … and he makes it subversive and provocative and even more worth discussing,” Hall told reporters during a virtual press conference. “I think that there’s a lot to be said about it, the chase for perfection and what that means, and also the commodification of beauty.”
“Human beauty is a sort of conceptually complicated thing. … So the idea that you can pay for perfection, and therefore you’re handing over your idea of it to someone who is taking your money and might want more of it, is complicated. … Frankly, I think keeping people in a place of inadequacy is more profitable.”
What are you willing to sacrifice for beauty?
In The Beauty, Hall and Peters play FBI agents assigned to investigate a series of model explosions around the world, including a character played by Bella Hadid, initially dubbed “catwalk carnage.”
Meanwhile, Kutcher’s character is the richest man in the world, who created the drug, The Beauty, an injection that makes people appear younger and reverses illnesses. But he needs to address the threat of the deadly side effects. That’s where The Assassin (Ramos) comes in, someone who took an early version of The Beauty, and is now tasked with killing anyone who received the bootleg treatment before their bodies explode.
“We’re living in a world where GLP-1s are pervasive, demand for Ozempic, … Mounjaro and all of these drugs, and some of them are health complications, others are just for aesthetic outcome. And then we have this increasing demand for cosmetic surgery, including tourism for cosmetic surgery, and people augmenting themselves in order to achieve a look or a feel or a vibe that they think will give them some sort of advantage, or maybe it will just make them happy,” Kutcher said. “You start to ask questions, like, ‘Is that so wrong?’ And then you add on top of it gene editing, which is happening in the world today, which can make you healthier.”
“You start to amalgamate all of that into one thing, and it’s a shot, and it’s called The Beauty. And the question is, what are you willing to sacrifice for that? And what risks are you willing to take? And I think that’s incredibly poignant.”
Jeremy Pope and Anthony Ramos in The Beauty (FX)
The Assassin and his protégé
Early in the series, The Assassin takes on a protégé, Jeremy (Pope), whom he was initially meant to kill.
“Jeremy reminds The Assassin of himself. I think there’s a level of empathy that The Assassin has for Jeremy’s character, that I think Jeremy brings out of him, that he taps into,” Ramos shared. “I think that there’s a level of loneliness and a void that I think that Jeremy filled, a hole in The Assassin’s soul or heart, if you will.”
“The Assassin has spent a lot of time alone, and I think the same for the character Jeremy, who is described as an incel, an involuntary celibate, who is looking for connection and affection,” Pope added. “So I think in this moment, he gets to meet someone who sees him and appreciates the weirdness that he is, and that he’s bringing. … They begin to work as a duo, and they begin to find new ways in this new experience and new life.”
“I’ve known Anthony for 15 years, so there’s that chemistry that we built just as brothers and as family, so to be able to translate that into these nuanced characters that some would say are villains, are bad guys, but I think it was about us excavating the truth. And trying to get into the psyche of these humans who are up against difficult stakes, and to them, these are the right choices. And I think we see a moment for The Assassin where he goes, I need someone. I need someone that can do two things, that can help me go and kill and do my job, but can also, in this moment, fill a void. And I think for Jeremy, he’s like, I’ve always needed someone to just see me for who and what I am. So that’s where we begin our journey.”
Rebecca Hall and Evan Peters in The Beauty (Philippe Antonello/FX)
‘There can be beauty in finding this true, perfected self’
Like many of Murphy’s shows, The Beauty has a lot to latch onto, from a story filled with shocking moments to many celebrity cameos and guest stars. But several of the cast members were given a unique task of physically morphing their bodies into their new look. It’s odd, certainly has a gross factor, but as Pope highlighted, it also required the actors to be fluid in their approach.
“We were doing boxing training leading up to the show, and I think it was helpful, because with the show, with Ryan, it was very physical. And a lot of things, I say they come with the spirit. When Ryan gets in the room, they change on the day, so you have to be ready to make those adjustments. You can’t be too locked in physically to what’s happening, because they can change,” Pope said.
“And I remember my day of transforming. We thought it was going to go one way, and he had a different vision. So it required me to use my physical body, and it became more of a ballet, if you will. It became about expressing this person feeling their body and their skin, and the muscles and how, instead of playing the body horror of it or the pain of it, there can be beauty in finding this true, perfected self. And what that might feel like, and learning how to walk and use this body within one step of the hallway to the bathroom.”
Within the show’s overarching messaging and captivating imagery is a series that’s an entertaining pleasure to watch. It has gore and a lot of star power, resulting in a show that sucks you in and holds your attention.