"The arrival of a new Ryan Murphy show can sometimes feel like a threat. Which version of the outrageously prolific showrunner are we going to get? Murphy, of course, is the visionary auteur behind camp classics like Nip/Tuck, the American Horror Story franchise, Pose, and-yes- Glee. All these are shows that, even if they ultimately overstayed their welcome, were singularly unique when they first arrived on American television screens and asserted the existence of a fresh creative mind."
"Across 11 episodes, the first three of which premiered today, the series follows a pathogen that, after escaping a laboratory, spreads via sexual infection, causing people to become outrageously good-looking. The only rather inconvenient downside appears to be that it also results in their eventual explosion-something guest star Bella Hadid discovers in the show's opening scenes after she tears away from a Balenciaga catwalk show, goes on a bloody rampage through Paris, and finally turns into a human water balloon."
"It's ridiculous, certainly, but it's entertaining too. What other show is going to feature an assistant editor at Vogue throwing a pop star out the windows of the Condé Nast offices before spraying her guts all over Ben Platt? Sure, like many good-looking people, The Beauty thinks it's smarter than it ultimately is, but against my better nature, I did find myself somewhat enjoying the show, with its big-budget"
Ryan Murphy's The Beauty runs 11 episodes on FX and centers on a laboratory-escaped pathogen that spreads sexually and makes infected people outrageously attractive while ultimately causing them to explode. The series mixes glossy, high-budget aesthetics with transgressive, often violent set pieces, including a sequence in which Bella Hadid's character rampages through Paris and another featuring a Vogue assistant editor hurling a pop star from Condé Nast offices. The show balances satirical horror with uneven substance, leaning on visual spectacle and shock value but delivering intermittent entertainment and pulpy thrills.
Read at Slate Magazine
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