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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The Beauty has an arresting body-horror premise and striking visual excess, but Tech Advisor reviewer Weronika de Oliveira argues that its blunt dialogue and shaky plotting undermine its satire. Her verdict: viewers seeking layered science fiction or sharp social commentary may want to skip it.
What is FX’s The Beauty about?
Based on the graphic novel by Haun and Jason A. Hurley, The Beauty follows FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) as they investigate the deaths of supermodels. Their case leads into a story involving a sexually transmitted virus and a serum called The Beauty, launched by a tech billionaire known as The Corporation (Ashton Kutcher).
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Beauty And The Beast (2012): The Complete Series | $37.78 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![Natural Beauty [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qQUyNKX-L._SL160_.jpg)
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Natural Beauty [DVD] | $15.67 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Beauty and the Beast (Platinum Edition) | $11.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World - DVD | $11.49 | Buy on Amazon |
The premise turns anxieties about youth and physical attractiveness into body horror. The series’ fictional serum is part of its story, not a real treatment or product. De Oliveira reads the show as a satire of contemporary beauty culture, including social-media ideals and attention around drugs such as Ozempic.
Why does the review call it infuriating and messy?
Dialogue explains too much
De Oliveira’s chief complaint is that characters spell out their backstories and motivations in long, implausible speeches. Conversations about social issues, in her view, often sound like lectures rather than exchanges between people. That leaves little space for the audience to infer meaning or engage with the ideas.
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- Genre: TV Drama
- Number of Discs: 20
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: NR
- Movie Title: Beauty and the Beast: The Complete Series
The investigation and thriller plot feel unconvincing
The review also faults the FBI investigation and corporate-thriller elements, describing plot holes that make the story difficult to take seriously. The show’s ambition does not, in the reviewer’s assessment, make those mechanics more persuasive.
The satire is too literal
De Oliveira argues that the series announces its message instead of developing it through metaphor or ambiguity. As she puts it, “Murphy forces his message down the viewer’s throat. In a truly infuriating manner, instead of metaphors and ambivalence, he opts for cheesy literalism, leaving the audience no room for reflection and interpretation.” That is the reviewer’s judgment of the show’s approach, not a consensus verdict.
Rank #2
What works in The Beauty?
The visuals offer the review’s clearest counterpoint to its criticism of the writing. De Oliveira highlights carefully designed costumes, color, lighting and interiors, set against gruesome transformation scenes. The body horror gives the beauty-and-youth premise a visceral form, although the same visual excess creates a pronounced tonal risk: viewers may find it compelling spectacle or simply too much.
The series is therefore not without a distinctive look or an ambitious central idea. The problem for this reviewer is that style and shock do not compensate for a story whose dialogue and plot fail to support the satire. She sums up that imbalance as “It’s style over substance, through and through.”
Rank #3
- Platinum Edition
- 2-Disc Special Edition
- Featuring an All-New Musical Sequence
Is The Beauty worth watching?
That depends on what you want from it. De Oliveira recommends skipping the series if you are looking for layered science fiction or sharp social satire. She points to Severance and Pluribus as comparisons for more complex science fiction, and Succession and The White Lotus for social satire. For beauty-transformation body horror, she invokes The Substance and Death Becomes Her. These are the reviewer’s reference points, not claims that the works are equivalent.
- Consider it if stylized visuals, gruesome transformations and an overt beauty-culture premise appeal to you.
- Look elsewhere if you prefer restrained satire, subtle thematic writing or tightly convincing investigative plotting.
Where was The Beauty released?
Tech Advisor’s January 21, 2026 review reported a US premiere on Hulu and FX that day, followed by a UK debut on Disney+ on January 22. It also reported an 11-episode season, with three episodes at premiere and weekly releases afterward. Those are launch-era details from the review, not confirmation of current catalog availability; check the relevant service in your territory for present-day access.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Biographical documentary of the Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Mary Oliver
- Includes interviews with Oliver's close friends, including John Waters
- Features recitations of Oliver's work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey
- Directed by Sasha Waters
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
