2026’s Record-Breaking Horror Series Still Has A Big Challenge To Overcome

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Despite the trailer for ‘The Beauty’ racking up nearly 200 million views, the new FX horror series still faces significant challenges if it wants to be a hit. Ryan Murphy is known for creating buzz, but his shows don’t always deliver on their initial promise of being shocking or groundbreaking.

Despite receiving harsh criticism in 2025 – with Murphy’s legal drama All’s Fair being called one of the worst TV shows ever, and the third season of his Netflix true crime series Monster: The Ed Gein Story getting the poorest reviews in the franchise’s history – both shows still proved popular with viewers.

Murphy’s new horror series, The Beauty, is already generating controversy thanks to its well-known actors. The show’s first trailer was a hit, suggesting it won’t need positive reviews to attract attention. The series revolves around a treatment for a sexually transmitted infection that makes people physically beautiful, but also causes frightening and violent side effects.

The Beauty’s Trailer Is FX’s Most Viewed Promo Ever

I’m so excited about The Beauty! The cast is incredible – Ashton Kutcher, Isabella Rossellini, Rebecca Hall, Anthony Ramos, Evan Peters, Ari Graynor, and even Bella Hadid! It’s no surprise the trailer blew up and got a record-breaking 190 million views in just the first week. Everyone is clearly buzzing about this show, and I am too!

From January 5th to 13th, the trailer for The Beauty racked up 37 million views on YouTube, making it the most-watched trailer ever for an FX show. However, this huge amount of attention wasn’t entirely positive. While the trailer was widely viewed, it also received a lot of criticism.

The saying ‘all publicity is good publicity’ might not hold true for Murphy’s new show. Many comments on the trailer accuse it of copying the basic idea from the 2024 film The Substance, which is a similarly over-the-top and satirical horror-comedy focusing on the beauty industry and how it turns beauty into a product.

The Beauty’s Source Material Makes The Substance Comparisons Unfair

It’s not really accurate to compare the new show to The Substance when looking at its flaws. The Beauty is actually based on a 2016 comic book by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, meaning the idea didn’t come from The Substance, as some people watching the trailer have suggested.

Even though the show is inspired by an existing story, it could still take inspiration from the popular 2024 horror film. Currently, the biggest challenge for the show is establishing its own identity, as viewers are constantly comparing it to The Substance online.

Both projects have remarkably similar storylines, and their exaggerated humor and vibrant visuals make the connection even stronger. Given that Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story has often been criticized for following popular trends, it’s understandable why some viewers feel The Beauty is too close to a previous film.

However, the show’s creators probably aren’t worried about comparisons to other series. The Beauty still holds the record for one of the most-watched TV trailers ever, suggesting strong ratings for the new show. This is especially good news considering recent seasons of American Horror Story have struggled to attract viewers, even with well-known actors.

The Beauty’s Trailer Success Highlights A TV Trend

Horror TV is incredibly popular right now, and the buzz around The Beauty online suggests Ryan Murphy’s show could benefit from this trend. Almost every major streaming platform currently features a prominent horror series, like It: Welcome to Derry, the upcoming season of Stranger Things, and Alien: Earth.

Ryan Murphy’s work in horror goes back to 2011 with American Horror Story, well before many other recent shows. His dedication to the genre is clear, even from shows like the brief but fun Scream Queens, suggesting his new series, The Beauty, could be a surprisingly big hit with critics.

Both Monster: The Ed Gein Story and the latest season of American Horror Story, called Delicate, suffered from confusing storylines, poorly defined characters, and an overreliance on shocking moments. While Ryan Murphy clearly has a talent for horror – as demonstrated by earlier, successful seasons like Murder House and Cult – these recent installments didn’t quite live up to their potential.

2025 was a tough year for this producer, especially with his American Horror Story series facing ongoing challenges. His new show, The Beauty, blends horror, comedy, and animation in a unique way, but that unconventional style might not appeal to all critics. Still, the show should be recognized for helping to popularize horror on television, and The Beauty could ultimately win critics over with a genuinely clever, frightening, and satirical storyline.

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2026-01-18 17:09