Ryan Murphy’s new TV toy is here and it comes with a sharp scalpel. The Beauty mixes science fiction, body horror and an uncomfortable critique of the cult of the image, with Ashton Kutcher in the center of the hurricane. And yes, the big question was in the air: is his villain Elon Musk with a different hairstyle?
Since the series premiered, the buzz hasn’t stopped. A charismatic billionaire, with almost infinite power and zero moral remorse usually automatically activates the modern viewer’s radar. But Kutcher has decided to nip the rumors in the bud before they become urban legend.
A billionaire, a miracle substance and too many theories
In The Beauty, Ashton Kutcher plays Byron Forstalso known as “the Corporation”, the richest man on the planet. His company has discovered a substance capable of turning any person into a physically enhanced version of themselves. Prettier, younger, more perfect. The price, of course, is another matter.
The problem is not just the product, but what happens afterward. The series presents a disturbing scenario where beauty becomes viral… and lethal. There are echoes of The Substance, unapologetic body horror and a constant feeling that something is very wrong even if everything looks flawless.
With that profile, many viewers were quick to make comparisons. Silicon Valley, mega fortunes, untouchable CEOs. The names of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg began to appear on social networks almost immediately. Kutcher, however, is clear.
Elon Musk (cordonpress)
“It is not based on any real person.”
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor got straight to the point. His character is not inspired by Musk, or Zuckerberg, or any specific tycoon. Although he admits that Musk could come closer in terms of wealth, the comparison stops there.
According to Kutcher, the key to the character is not who he is, but how he moves. That feeling that people with enormous power live in a bubble where everything seems easy, immediate, without friction. That air of untouchability is what he wanted to bring to the screen, more than a recognizable caricature.
And it makes sense. The Beauty is not about pointing the finger at a specific person, but about holding up an uncomfortable mirror in front of a society obsessed with improving its packaging, no matter what the cost. Doesn’t that sound familiar to you?
Ashton Kutcher (cordonpress)
Ashton Kutcher’s darkest TV comeback
In recent years, Ashton Kutcher had lowered his acting profile. Some occasional appearances, minor projects and a lot of focus on business and investment. Nothing to do with that omnipresent actor who marked an era on television with iconic characters and highly rated comedies.
That’s why The Beauty feels like a thoughtful return. There are no canned laughs or light-hearted charisma here. Kutcher takes on the role of a cold, calculating villain, convinced that the end justifies any means. And he does it without asking the viewer for forgiveness.
The jump to drama is not accidental. Playing someone who makes morally indefensible decisions requires a curious exercise: not judging the character. Kutcher defines it as a kind of constant mental gymnastics, a way of internally justifying the unjustifiable so that the result is credible.
FX
Ryan Murphy, the temptation impossible to reject
Another key factor was working with Ryan Murphy, a figure who doesn’t need much introduction. The creator behind American Horror Story and Monster presented him with the idea and a deep conversation was enough to convince him.
They talked about aesthetic obsession, about medications like Ozempic or Mounjaro, about surgery, about that silent race to achieve an idealized version of oneself. Murphy asked the question that underpins the series: if there was an injection that would make you perfect, how much would you be willing to pay?
That’s the core of The Beauty. Not in the villain, not even in the substance, but in our relationship with the desire to be better… or at least seem so. The series doesn’t shout, it whispers, and that makes it even more uncomfortable.
A series that hurts because it is right
Broadcast on FX and Disney Plus, The Beauty does not seek to please. Its clean aesthetic contrasts with what is happening beneath the surface. Perfect bodies, horrible consequences. Promises of personal improvement that hide a cost that no one wants to look at in the face.
Ashton Kutcher’s character works precisely because he is not a comic book villain. He doesn’t raise his voice, he doesn’t get his hands dirty. He just ignores the consequences because he can afford it. And that, perhaps, is what is most disturbing.
The series invites us to wonder to what extent we have normalized certain dynamics. Is your approach really so crazy? Or is it just an exaggerated version of something we are already experiencing, but with better lighting?
Kutcher shows here that he still has a lot to say as an actor. His Corporation does not seek to be nice or hateful, only coherent within a perverse logic that, if you stop to think about it, is not so foreign.
The Beauty is not a comfortable series, but it is one of those that stays spinning in your head after you turn off the screen. And that, today, is enough.
Now it’s your turn: would you buy the injection if it existed or would you run? Tell us what you think and don’t forget to follow us on Google News, here we continue dissecting pop culture without anesthesia.
