The Beauty

There are far too many episodes, another modern disease, but I will say this for it — it isn’t boring.

The Beauty’s flamboyant approach to that Ozempic-meets-HIV premise is impossible to forget and is also, for better and for worse, some of the most stimulating work out of the Murphy machine in years.

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.

One of Murphy’s most thought-full (if not thoughtful) shows in years. It’s highly debatable how many of those thoughts are fresh or original or fully examined, but it’s a busy show that will keep many viewers occupied trying to make sense of its breadcrumb trail of familiar ideas and familiar twists and turns.

While the likes of The Substance and Dead Ringers offer in-depth explorations of their character’s psychological struggles (through extended and escalating body horror), The Beauty pales in comparison, offering only surface-level insight into the interiority of the characters. .... The series is also visually stunning – as fans will have come to expect from a Murphy production – and has a great cast.

Considering the show ends on a brutal cliffhanger, there is hope for a second season that will only succeed if it tightens its grip on the storytelling. Despite its kitchen sink of ideas, there is still plenty to gain from watching the series, including beautifully grotesque instances of body horror, oddball storylines, and novel performances.

The writers never settle on a tone, but that does not seem due to a lack of ambition. Seemingly recognizing these sober times, they explore more serious societal issues — if too briefly.

“The Beauty” merely reinforces Murphy’s distasteful infatuation with mixing nudity, violence and (several times) nude violence—a sort of Reese’s peanut butter cup that puts lurid taste treats together.

“The Beauty,” which, like so many of Murphy’s shows, is pastiche held together by proud vulgarity and a sadistic streak. .... None of this quite hangs together.