Ryan Murphy's new FX series The Beauty debuted on Hulu with three episodes on January 21, 2026, introducing a body horror plot about a sexually transmitted disease that enhances beauty but causes spontaneous combustion. Starring Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall as FBI agents, the show features a major twist where Hall's character gets infected and will be recast. Rebecca Hall expressed enthusiasm for the transformation scene in an interview.
Ryan Murphy's FX series The Beauty, based on a comic book of the same name, premiered on Hulu with three back-to-back episodes on January 21, 2026. The show blends elements of Nip/Tuck and American Horror Story, serving as a cautionary tale about the perils of perfection amid graphic gore and yacht rock soundtrack choices.
Evan Peters stars as FBI agent Cooper Madsen, alongside Rebecca Hall as Jordan Bennett, who investigate a bizarre sexually transmitted disease that dramatically increases attractiveness but leads to side effects like spontaneous combustion. Billionaire Byron Forst, played by Ashton Kutcher, is packaging the virus as a fountain-of-youth drug, employing a sadistic assassin portrayed by Anthony Ramos to control infected subjects. The assassin, known simply as The Assassin, has a notable affinity for Christopher Cross's music.
The premiere introduces Jeremy, initially played by Jaquel Spivey from the Mean Girls movie-musical, a disgruntled incel whose botched plastic surgery leads him to infect himself with The Beauty after a violent rampage. He is later portrayed by Jeremy Pope from Pose following the transformation.
A pivotal twist occurs in Episode 2 when Jordan Bennett contracts the virus during a casual encounter, setting up her recasting with a new actress for future appearances. Speaking to TVLine about her contortion-heavy transformation scene, Hall said, "There was a contortionist on set who was a double and did some of the more extreme stuff, but when I watched it, I was honestly quite surprised by how much of it was me! It was fun, though. I was game to just throw myself around and hope that no one let me break, which they didn't."
Hall supported the bold narrative choice, stating, "I thought it was interesting and exciting and fun, like, why not?" She expressed curiosity about how a new performer would interpret the evolved character. Early reviews for the body horror series, featuring Peters and Kutcher, indicate a mediocre Rotten Tomatoes score, reflecting mixed critical reception.