Ryan Murphy‘s upcoming horror show is an intriguing comic book adaptation, but it is hard not to see how it is already controversial in one major way.
Although Ryan Murphy has earned a fair share of acclaim as a creative, he has also built a reputation for provocation with his controversial content in shows like Netflix’s Monster. Even for the most recent installment of the Netflix show, which focused on Ed Gein, Murphy was criticized for twisting many facts and sensationalizing real-world violence.
Since his upcoming work is a work of complete fiction and borderline fantastical, it might align with Ryan Murphy’s overly stylized approach to capturing small-screen drama. However, despite this, it is already getting a lot of negative attention for one reason.
Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty Is Based On A Comic Book Of The Same Name
Ryan Murphy’s upcoming horror show, The Beauty, is an adaptation of Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley sci-fi police procedural comic of the same name. The source material unfolds in a world where a new sexually transmitted disease makes an infected individual highly desirable in appearance.
However, it is soon revealed that the disease also comes with a terrible price that makes every infected person a ticking time bomb.
From the looks of it, the Ryan Murphy show is not drifting too far from the original comic’s thematic inclination. As the show’s trailer suggests, it will dabble with ideas surrounding anti-beauty extremism and corporate greed. But there is one reason why the show is already wrapped in controversy.
The Ryan Murphy Show Is Changing The Comic Book’s Story In 1 Major Way
The Beauty‘s trailer clearly establishes that it is completely changing the STD plot. Instead of using a sexually transmitted disease as a narrative device for its story, the show is introducing an engineered drug that promises physical perfection and eternal beauty. There is nothing inherently wrong with this change, but it makes the show a little too conventional.
The Beauty is scheduled to be released on FX and FX on Hulu on January 21, 2026.
While the comic book is more about intimacy, consequences, and stigma, the show seems to be inclining more towards telling a more relatable but predictable story about cosmetic enhancement and biohacking.
The show’s approach makes its story a little too familiar, especially because one of the best horror movies from 2024 walked down a similar path and set an incredibly high bar.
The Beauty’s Comic Change Makes It Too Similar To One Of 2024’s Best Horror Movies
Many viewers have been pointing out that The Beauty‘s source material change makes it too similar to 2024’s The Substance. While the show still has a police procedural plot that will likely help it establish its own identity, it is hard not to question whether it is trying to riff on The Substance‘s critical and commercial success.
Only time will tell how Ryan Murphy‘s The Beauty will eventually turn out. However, it is hard not to hope that the horror series will justify its departure from its source material instead of coming off as a forced rip-off of The Substance.
