If the 2026 show The Beauty has you hooked, it's probably because it doesn't just flirt with the idea of perfection—it rips it open. The new Disney+ series imagines a world in which a drug that makes everyone beautiful exists. And like all great body horrors, the fantasy curdles fast. It taps into influencer culture, cosmetic enhancement, biohacking, and the panic of not measuring up.
But The Beauty isn't the first story to ask what happens when we try to perfect ourselves. From campy immortality comedies to surgically precise television dramas and full-blown grotesque transformation horror, the movies and shows on this list (which can be found on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max) explore the same dangerous question: What does it really cost to change your body in pursuit of perfection?
The Beauty (2026)
The Beauty is set in a society altered by a miracle drug that makes its users physically flawless. As the series follows those who embrace and resist the drug, the price of that perfection slowly reveals itself. The story follows FBI agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) as they investigate billionaire Byron Forst's (Ashton Kutcher) conspiracy to protect his "miracle" product.
If you've followed series creator Ryan Murphy's work before, you can feel him refining themes he's circled for years, like beauty as power, the body as currency, and society's obsession with youth. The Beauty is a must-watch for fans of shows with Black Mirror (2011) vibes and stylish, satirical horror, and for those who like their genre storytelling wrapped in prestige production values.
Death Becomes Her (1992)
Death Becomes Her follows fading actress Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) and her longtime friend and rival, novelist Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn). They are both in love with the same man, plastic surgeon Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), who Madeline stole from Helen years prior. In their attempts to win him over, Madeline and Helen drink a mysterious potion that promises eternal youth.
But their plan backfires with grotesque and very undead consequences. If The Beauty is glossy and unsettling, Death Becomes Her is its campy ancestor. The movie is sharper than it first appears and surprisingly mean about Hollywood's fear of aging. It's perfect for viewers who like their body horror with biting humor rather than outright dread.
Nip/Tuck (2003)
Before The Beauty, Ryan Murphy was already dissecting cosmetic obsession with Nip/Tuck (2003). The series follows Miami plastic surgeons Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon), whose high-end procedures promise their patients new lives, even as their own personal lives spiral out of control.
Almost every episode opens with one of the doctors asking a patient a very basic question: "Tell me what you don't like about yourself." That line alone tells you everything about the show's thesis. Nip/Tuck isn't sci-fi, but it's often more disturbing than basic body horror because it grounds its premise in emotional insecurity. It's a fun ride for fans of medical dramas like 2005's Grey's Anatomy.
The Neon Demon (2016)
The Neon Demon follows Jesse (Elle Fanning), an aspiring model who moves to Los Angeles to follow her dream. Once there, she quickly becomes the object of obsession and envy among established models like Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee). What begins as a fairy-tale ascent into the glamorous world of fashion quickly morphs into something far more nightmarish.
The Neon Demon is less interested in plot mechanics and more focused on mood, turning beauty into something consumable. If The Beauty critiques perfection through sci-fi satire, this movie does it through arthouse horror. Its ambiguity can be frustrating, but if you like visually hypnotic films like 2010's Black Swan, this movie will absolutely get under your skin.
The Substance (2024)
If you're looking for something a little more visceral, The Substance goes for the jugular. The film follows aging star, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) who turns to a new youth-restoring product that creates a younger version of herself, called Sue (Margaret Qualley). What follows isn't empowerment fantasy, but a slow unraveling of identity when the product's rules are broken.
The Substance is unapologetically excessive, using practical effects and transformation horror that makes it really difficult to watch. Where some body horrors use immortality for laughs, this movie weaponizes it. It's ideal for viewers who appreciate bold, confrontational filmmaking and aren't squeamish about things like bodily mutation.
Shell (2025)
Shell leans into moody sci-fi horror, telling the story of Samantha Lake (Elisabeth Moss), an aging actress who is convinced to undergo a rejuvenating procedure at a fancy wellness facility run by the slightly mysterious and very glamorous Zoe Shannon (Kate Hudson). Samantha goes ahead with the procedure, with the promise that it will give her career and dating life a much-needed boost.
But what starts out as a life-changing decision eventually turns into a waking nightmare for Samantha when she starts to experience weird side effects, and one of the wellness center's patients goes missing. Shell is quieter and more introspective than most body horrors (at first), while its themes overlap perfectly with The Beauty. It's ideal for anyone who prefers psychological creepiness to outright gore.
Slanted (2026)
Slanted approaches the definition of beauty through a sharp, satirical lens. The upcoming film follows Joan Huang (Shirley Chen), a teenager who undergoes ethnic modification surgery to improve her chances of becoming Prom Queen. What begins as a seemingly empowering choice slowly reveals the psychological toll of reshaping yourself to fit a narrow ideal of what it means to be beautiful.
Unlike the often outrageous nature of The Beauty, Slanted deals with some very real-world issues that have plagued people of color for the longest time. It's particularly resonant for young viewers who are constantly dealing with assimilation pressures, while figuring out their place in the world. It's ideal for anyone who enjoys movies with a deeper message.
