The Beauty is the series that tells the dark side of beauty How much are we willing to sacrifice in order to appear perfect?
What would you be willing to sacrifice for perfection? This is the question at the heart of The Beauty, the highly anticipated new FX series, streaming from January 22 on Disney+. Produced by Ryan Murphy and set across Rome, Venice, Paris, and New York, it promises to keep viewers glued to the screen with a winning mix of three elements: beauty, suspense, and mystery. At the center of the story is a society willing to go to any lengths to pursue unattainable aesthetic standards, a glossy world hiding disturbing secrets and unpredictable consequences. As the protagonists spiral deeper into obsession, the line between desire and monstrosity becomes increasingly thin. The Beauty is not just a thriller; it is a reflection on how far we are willing to go to appear perfect in the eyes of others.
The Beauty: plot and cast of Ryan Murphy's new series
The series opens in Paris, where top model Ruby (played by Bella Hadid) suddenly loses control during a runway show. Her horrifying and inexplicable death draws the attention of FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett, played by Evan Peters and Rebecca Hall. They uncover a sexually transmitted virus that turns ordinary people into physically perfect beings—with terrifying consequences. Their investigation puts them in the crosshairs of The Corporation (Ashton Kutcher), a mysterious tech billionaire who has created a miracle drug called The Beauty and will not hesitate to use the assassin The Assassin (Anthony Ramos) to protect his empire. As the epidemic spreads, Jeremy (Jeremy Pope), a hopeless outcast, also becomes involved. Cooper and Jordan find themselves entangled in a dangerous international conspiracy threatening humanity itself, forcing them to confront a world where beauty is no longer a privilege but a weapon.
Beauty: from desire to trap
The Beauty uses the obsession with physical perfection to depict a society increasingly dominated by image. The body is stripped of its identity, beauty becomes a mechanism of control, and the desire to be accepted turns into a trap: a disturbing reflection that makes us question how much value we are willing to place on appearances. And while appearance is everything for the characters, the actors’ views are very different. "I think perfection can be pretty boring," said Rebecca Hall during the series’ press conference in Rome. "How much would I personally sacrifice? I don’t know, but the concept of beauty is different for each of us. I believe everyone should do what they want, but the desire to change should never come from outside. Things should be done for yourself, not for others," added Anthony Ramos.
Where to watch The Beauty
The first three episodes of The Beauty will premiere in Italy on January 22. The series, streaming on Disney+ and composed of eleven episodes in total, will continue every Thursday with a new episode, concluding with a double episode per week during the final two weeks. In addition to the lead actors, the cast includes other notable guest stars: Isabella Rossellini, Nicola Peltz Beckham, Meghan Trainor, and Amelia Gray Hamlin.
