Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty: Followup To American Horror Stories’ “Facelift”

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Ryan Murphy’s new horror series feels surprisingly similar to a lesser-known, but excellent, episode of American Horror Stories.

Ryan Murphy’s shows often spark debate, but he’s highly regarded as an innovator in horror, especially due to his work on American Horror Story and its related series. AHS itself had its ups and downs in terms of quality, a common challenge with anthology shows. Still, many episodes remain incredibly enjoyable and are considered standout contributions to the horror genre.

It’s curious that Ryan Murphy’s new horror series, while inspired by a unique comic book, feels surprisingly similar to a past episode of American Horror Stories.

Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty Seems Like The Perfect Follow-Up To American Horror Stories’ “Facelift”

The American Horror Stories episode “Facelift” is a frightening story about the dangers of being too focused on appearance. It centers around a wealthy woman whose obsession with staying young and beautiful spirals out of control after her divorce. She begins getting increasingly drastic cosmetic surgeries, ultimately losing herself and becoming unrecognizable.

In more ways than one, Ryan Murphy’s upcoming show, The Beauty, seems similar to “Facelift.”

The new show is inspired by a comic book where a strange condition initially gives people perfect, youthful skin. At first, those affected enjoy the benefits, but they soon discover the condition is actually a dangerous disease with deadly consequences. The show’s creator, Murphy, has updated the story to center around a beauty drug instead of the disease featured in the original comic.

This adjustment will make the story even more akin to the American Horror Stories episode “Facelift,” as it will explore a comparable theme of the damaging obsession with beauty and the mental toll it takes.

“Facelift” Is One Of American Horror Stories’ Most Underrated Episodes

While often considered one of the weaker episodes of American Horror Story, “Facelift” has a surprisingly impactful message about the dangers of vanity. Despite its modest IMDb score of 5.9/10, the episode resonates thanks to a powerful performance by Judith Light, who convincingly portrays her character’s internal struggles and slow decline.

Even from a body horror perspective, “Facelift” seems reminiscent of one of The Twilight Zone‘s best episodes, “Eye of the Beholder.”

Despite some problems with its pacing, “Facelift” is better than many people initially thought and deserves another look. If Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty does well, it might encourage viewers to revisit the American Horror Stories episode and re-evaluate it.

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2026-01-01 07:38