"American Horror Stories" Facelift (TV Episode 2022) Poster

(TV Series)

(2022)

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7/10
I Enjoyed it!
missjada197825 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Take these shorts for what they are: quick horror stories. Definitely had a Death Becomes Her, Twilight Zone episode Eye Of The Beholder but with a twist. If you've never seen that Twilight Zone episode, look it up, it's classic! I can tell those two amazing pieces of film inspired this episode!
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6/10
Twilight Zone's Classic Episode "Eye of the Beholder" Reimagined
brianamillie25 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The title says it all. If youre a fan of the Twilight Zone series, this is a fun watch. Its not perfect, but it felt like some old-school horror with a modern day cult spin.
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6/10
Not the most original but enjoyable
Bkinz25 August 2022
Enjoyable episode. Not the most original climax but the buildup is good. Dialogues are a bit over explanatory and there's a few weird shot choices in the beginning that don't really come back later but all in all worth a watch. Just once though.
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Manny Coto needs to stop
ienjoyent3rtainmnt3 September 2022
Starts off promising. Then becomes a dumpster fire. Something I've noticed in this season is almost every episode has a character explaining at the end why everything went down the way it did with these lame reveals. It's just lazy writing. Show, don't tell. That, and of all the tributaries this episode could've gone down, THAT was the choice Coto made? I rolled my eyes and actually got angry that I wasted the first 35 min of the episode. I'm see a trend. Promising at the beginning, piquing my interest and curiosity for the next big chunk, then CRASH LANDING with one of the actors revealing all the secrets of the show. Coto really doesn't know how to conclude his episodes. SMDH.
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6/10
Meh
Tr-u-mpbilly27 August 2022
I really enjoyed Season One, so I keep sticking in here for improvement - I don't think it's coming. This episode was barely watchable. A familiar story, not played-out well. I doubt I'll make a point of watching another.

Each episode gets a minute of a great idea, then squanders it with lazy script developement, it's very frustrating. The franchise has had such great success, maybe I'm spoiled. The cinematograhy has remained excellent throughout, so that's something, I guess.

I'll be back if they have another season. I'll chalk this up to the Roanoke curse. Hey did you guys hear the one about the two facelift doctors who walk into a bar?
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4/10
Had Potential
gerardibr26 August 2022
I agree with the Death Becomes her vibes; evident in the details of set and costuming. Sadly, it takes a wrong turn and falls very flat. I'd make a comparison to Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone, but that would be giving it too much credit. Not enough character development to care and a missed opportunity to reimagine the cost of chasing youth in a more compelling and realistic way.
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7/10
It's far from great but it's solid
harry-3451826 August 2022
Great performances, cool body horror and a solid story make up for the episodes messy pacing and short run time. For once the twist in this episode actually feels earned and made sense. It's sad because I'm praising something that should be the norm for this show but it isn't. As far as this episode goes I enjoyed it.
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2/10
No. Just no.
MDesigner26 August 2022
More highschool level writing, alas. It was fine until the big reveal at the end. Someone needs to have a very honest conversation with Manny Coto and hand the writing over to someone else. Oof size = large.
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9/10
Psychological horror
ivanbusuiok-6523825 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode was one of the better ones. The acting was on point, and the story was nothing groundbreaking, but still very well-written. It was not as predictable as it could have been, mostly because of the stepmother/stepdaughter subplot, and this weird "butterflies and pigs" cult. I liked that they didn't just made her face ugly, they literally turned her into a human-pig. This definitely added to the shocking factor.
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6/10
Solid Episode
tonyandsilvia19941 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
For the second week running, American Horror Stories delivers a good solid episode. I thought the acting was very good, particularly from Judith Light in the lead. It's amazing how much better an episode can be when you involve someone who can act, and who isn't there because they have a famous relative.

I also like the fact there was no unnecessary gore which had been shoe-horned in for the heck of it. It focussed more on someone insecurities and desire to capture what they once had.

There were a couple of missteps for me, namely what the result of the surgery looked like was a bit ridiculous. The folk horror element was pure Wicker Man, let's call it a homage as opposed to a rip off. And the ending? You don't always need a twist AHS. Quit whist you're ahead.
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1/10
Death becomes her/ Beyond belief
luciennemily26 August 2022
Nothing new. It literally took the inspiration from death becomes her. Dr. Perle almost looks identical to Isabella Rossellinis part and acts the same. It also reminded me a bit of the Beyond Beliefe episode "mirror of truth". This show was never good and i am not thinking it's getting any better after this. They straight up copied my favorite movie now and it's not fun watching anymore.
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9/10
If Looks Can Kill
EvanparkerT25 August 2022
I love the slow burn pacing, the terror, and Judith Light's performance. Was the ending predictable obviously yes but it was fun. I really enjoyed this episode!
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7/10
Facelift
bobcobb3014 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This was an intriguing premise, but like so many episodes of this show it completely fell apart at the end.

As a Twilight Zone fan I definitely loved the nod to that series, but it seemed so out of place here. It felt like an unnecessary turn away from the premise.

I was hoping for something more interesting with the surgery, like it would expose your true self. So maybe it did improve her appearance, but then when she cheated with the guy she would turn ugly again.

Still an enjoyable episode, but another absolutely questionable decision of how to wrap up the show tonight. I am glad they are making this series though because we need more anthology TV like this.
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2/10
Derivative, and weak.
pfixzy28 August 2022
A complete ripoff of a classic Twilight Zone episode, and the only thing good about it was Judith Light's performance. While Light was amazing (and the reason I gave it an extra star), as she always is, the episode was once again extremely underwhelming. The "extra" added "twist" was also very, VERY bad, and served little to no purpose. The only reason I could understand anyone rating this episode above MAYBE a 3/10 would be because they had never seen or known about the Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder", or they rated it higher because of how fantastic Judith Light's performance was. An absolute disappointment, and please watch the original Twilight Zone instead, as this season of "Stories" has shown this is not only bad all around, but also not even worth the time to watch for a few laughs. There is a difference between "So bad it's good" and just "Bad". This... Is BAD.
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7/10
Not the worst episode
hnt_dnl28 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This episode Facelift had a lot of promise. First, it stars esteemed veteran TV Emmy-winning actress Judith Light (from One Life to Live, Who's the Boss, the Dallas sequel series, and a bunch of other stuff) and having a more mature lead is a plus, in my opinion. Light excellently plays Virginia, a wealthy widowed Beverly Hills socialite who is obsessed with getting old. She lives in her mansion with her stepdaughter Fay (well played by Britt Lower from Severance) who thinks of Virginia as her real mother as she's raised her for the last 20 years since she was a teenager. Virginia has a crush on her next door neighbor and through some mild nudging by Fay, she "accidentally" runs into him at a local shop where she finds out that he's dating her old college roommate who mysteriously looks a lot younger than Virginia. The lady makes a deal with Virginia that if she doesn't pursue her boyfriend, she'll tell her why she looks so young. Virginia agrees to the deal and the roommate gives her the number to a clinic that specializes in reconstructive surgery. The clinic doctor (creepily played by Rebecca Dayan, who was one of the best parts of the otherwise abysmal AHS Death Valley arc) assures Virginia that her methods will be a success and make her look like a new woman. Virginia gets more than she bargained for as she has to borrow a lot of money due to the cost of the surgery and is in excruciating pain and her face and hands are bandaged for several weeks and she can't do anything for herself until they come off. She also slowly loses her relationship with Fay. Light really makes the viewer feel for Virginia's predicament and obsession with youth and the episode features some good horror moments. The episode is kind of slow and the twist is kind of underwhelming. But one thing this episode has going for it is the dialogue feels natural. Many modern TV shows seem to think that all young people talk in cringe twitter dialect, so it's refreshing to have an episode that features a more mature cast. Ironically, the previous episode Bloody Mary featured teen characters, but also the dialogue felt natural. Maybe AHStories is finally getting a clue this season. The main negative is that this episode failed to keep me engaged like some of the best episodes of the season like Dollhouse, Bloody Mary, and Aura. In those episodes, I was glued to the screen for the entire runtime while with Facelift, I was kind of waiting for something to happen and then the ending came. Facelift is way better than Drive and Milkmaids, though, mainly thanks to strong acting by Light and also an episode that has the potential to improve on re-watches.
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1/10
Awful
sarahrozsa25 August 2022
Yes, society already knows a woman growing older and uglier is an offense worthy of death, but this shows awful writers survive off of regurgitate stereotypes and bigoted tropes.
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Season 2 Episode "facelift"
mckelsey-2127025 August 2022
Anyone know who is "Estain" the pretty people pray to? Based on Any known Goddesses or Gods? Or looping back into any older characters from season 1 or AHS seasons? Voodoo or witch craft related incantations? I hope related to the witches loved 🖤 them. Especially lady Gaga as character "Scathach" but by far in love with Who her other character "the countess" is based off of, if anyone else knows.🖤 Bathory.
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6/10
Promising, but nothing special.
becky-923467 May 2023
American Horror Stories S2 E6: Facelift (2022) follows a woman desperate to look her best who does the unthinkable. This episode is ok, I found it engaging and it kept me guessing, but by the end it feels very predictable and underwhelming.

The cinematography for this episode is decent but I did expect more from it. The lighting is nice, however it's not imaginative and doesn't stand out. Additionally, the colour palettes are very basic and I would've liked some stronger and more prominent colour schemes.

The sound design is also very average and, unfortunately, there's not much to talk about. The score is very one-note too, and lacks originality. A better score would've enhanced the tone of this episode and really would've brought it to life.

Luckily, this episode has a lot of good acting! We also get a clear and well written introduction to the characters. All of the characters are written to be fairly interesting with a considerable amount of depth which I respect!

Lastly, this episode is easy to follow and fairly engaging, but has a disappointing ending. It has a basic structure and clear story but doesn't do much to set itself aside from other horror shows/movies. The mystery is very high, but the reveal is a huge let down and the final act just feels incredibly messy.
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1/10
Done with AHS
drewdown0025 August 2022
Smdh. I have been watching AHS since 2011 and obviously the show has gone down hill drastically. IMO, after Hotel, it's hard to find a season that has more good than bad episodes.

I continue(d) to watch because I have been invested since the beginning. With American Horror "Stories" coming out last year, I figured it could be refreshing and set the bar for scary television again. Maybe it would be a good change of pace by having a beginning, middle and end with each weekly episode.

I was wrong.

Most of the stories, acting and execution just seem lazy to me. I realized i just keep watching the show with HOPES that they will finally have a good story line to excite me again. I hope someone else comes up with another show for the fall that intrigues, scares and yet excites me the way American Horror Story used to a decade ago.

This episode might be the worst of the worst. It's time to put this show out to pasture.

I'm sure I'll watch another episode as I'm a glutton for punishment. Lol. I just really miss the good old days.
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8/10
Judith Light can act!
unclehud27 August 2022
"Who's The Boss" wasn't her apogee, although she nailed that role every week for years. Saw her a few years ago in the Versace mini-series; she was so good I bought Miglin perfume.

Tonight she knocked it outta the park! Yeah, OK, once again she plays super-affluent suburbanite, but this time she shows convincing hesitation and self-doubt. And half the time swaddled completely under bandages.

Awesome episode, and scary, too.

Plot briefing: Concerned about competing successfully in a "womanly" arena, she visits an unorthodox plastic surgeon. She also imprudently leverages her finances to make it happen.

Does she live to regret it? Watch it find out.
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6/10
A Pretty Cult
ZegMaarJus26 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This Episode begins with Virginia, she has a conversation with her daughter Fay. Virginia is considering plastic surgery, a facelift is one of the options. Virginia asks Enid for help. Virginia can't afford the payments for the plastic surgery. Virginia chose to do the plastic surgery. Virginia looks like a mummy after the surgery. Virginia goes to Enid her place. Fay got drugged by one of Enid's security guards. Virginia her bandages have been taken off, she looks like a pig. Virginia got killed by the pretty ones, Fay sees it. Fay joined the pretty ones. An Okay Episode of American Horror Stories Season 2, this Episode was not good and not bad. I didn't get the storyline and just some weird stuff going on!
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1/10
Death becomes her
nunezv-2265625 August 2022
This was very death becomes her with a twist. Even in one of the scenes it sounded just like the movie. Hopefully the next episode will be better. Or maybe the 3 season will be the best one I'm hoping.
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8/10
Solid stand alone piece
ryansharrington20 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I don't see why all the low ratings. I'm very critical of these, but this one was a great take on a beauty cult! The doctor was kind of a nod to Isabella Rossellini and the story of "Death Becomes Her" meets a sacrifice kind of like they do at Bohemian Grove.

Judith Light and the other casting is perfect as well. You have the mean blonde who was the mean girl from Romy and Michelle and she does the evil woman well.

I think the story is more inspired than it is derivative. I thought she was going to have bigger hooves, but that snout was unreal. Judith nailed the desperation of an old Beverly Hills widow on a fixed income.
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1/10
Bad script
x-5600325 August 2022
I don't know what happened to this episode. I can't understand it. There is nothing we want to see. It is worse than the previous episodes, and even the worst.
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1/10
Just abysmal
tjwzkpn25 August 2022
I can't 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ save yourself the time and DO NOT WATCH THIS terribly written show. Like jeez a 5 yr old could come up with better and less predictable plots.
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