Directed by Marcus Stokes, the latest episode of American Horror Stories stars Judith Light, Rebecca Dayan, Britt Lower, Todd Waring, and Cornelia Guest. The episode not only draws on the implications of beauty within society but on mythology, and the fear of cults. Cults were previously explored in American Horror Story’s seventh season, Cult, which drew on common fears in more ways than one. Similarly, “Facelift” explores some of society’s common fears in an extremely exaggerated manner.
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“Facelift” begins with Virginia (Light), whose daily routine revolves around limiting the physical appearance of her aging. Her stepdaughter Fay (Lower) attempts to reason with her but is met with little resolve. Virginia’s focus on her appearance stems from the death of her husband and her wish to be in a romantic relationship once more. The object of her fixation is her neighbor Bernie (Waring), who has recently separated from his wife. Virginia runs into an unexpected roadblock in an old college colleague Cassie (Guest), who has formed a relationship with Bernie. Despite their similarities in age, Cassie’s youthful appearance alarms Virginia, who becomes increasingly self-conscious about her looks. After some goading, Cassie refers Virginia to her plastic surgeon, which opens the floodgates of all “Facelift” has to offer.
Much of “Facelift” revolves around the secrecy of the procedure Virginia agrees to have done. Dr. Enid Perle (Dayan) is a cryptic woman who speaks in an eerily rehearsed manner. The longer Virginia is forced to keep the bandages on her face and hands, the more suspicious Fay and American Horror Stories’ viewers become. The suspense viewers endure waiting for the bandages to come off, and the final shoe to drop, is partly what makes “Facelift” so appealing. Without the unknown factor “Facelift” has working for it, there is very little horrific appeal. The final 15 minutes of “Facelift” is where the episode aims to take off. As if suspicions weren’t high enough, Virginia is invited to attend a retreat hosted by Dr. Perle, though the location of the retreat is kept a secret.
At the retreat, a simultaneous unveiling occurs. As Virginia’s bandages are removed, the large group of attendees is revealed to be members of a cult that delivers a sacrifice to Étaín for their health and beauty. Instead of achieving her quest to become one of the “beautiful people,” Virginia has been transformed into a pig. The connection between the pig and the butterfly symbol of the cult is all part of its history, though “Facelift” is clearly drawing on the societal implications of what extremes may occur from treating beauty as a gateway to something better.
The extreme treatment of beauty in “Facelift” isn’t what contributes to the episode’s brutal end. Rather than the cult and blind devotion to the brutality they engage with, their perception of beauty is striking. At first glance, all the attendees are slim and appear incredibly wealthy. The focal characters of “Facelift” are all white cast members, and a vast majority of the cult patrons are as well. In this lies the underlying suggestion that society doesn’t typically view people of color to be members of an elitist group that worships beauty, which is as telling as it is crippling.
The ease with which both Virginia and Fay are willing to adapt and accept something they have resisted, only when it benefits them, is another unfortunate result. Virginia routinely turns on Fay, reminding her that she isn’t her biological mother. There is a karmic form of justice not only in her fate but once Virginia is forced to rely on Bernie for help, only to see that he is not her ally. The inability to trust anyone in “Facelift” is certainly startling, though it only aims to amplify the skeptical environment these characters have found themselves swept up in.
“Facelift” has a few subplots that help tie its story together, especially in regard to alienation. The subtleties tied into “Facelift” which demonstrate how intricate and brainwashing cults can be, are sprinkled within this episode of American Horror Stories. It doesn’t create any sympathy for these characters, nor does “Facelift” aim to. Instead, these incredibly selfish characters only concern themselves with what will best work for them, even if it means harming someone else. Like “Bloody Mary,” “Facelift” ponders the question of what someone will do in order to achieve their deepest desire, no matter how superficial things may seem.
American Horror Stories is now streaming on Hulu.
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