The Twilight Zone (TV Series) Eye of the Beholder (2003) User Reviews

Where's the Compassion?

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 13 July 2017]

If a remake does little to outdo the original, I would ask, "Why bother?" That's the case here. Just about everyone knows the old Twilight Zone episode where the going culture are made up of people who look a little like swine. The shock value and the make-up of the original are much better in the old black and white. The only change we have here is the introduction of an alternative setting for these "ugly" persons. All the tension dissipates when we think back to the Serling episode because we know everything that will take place.

The beautiful people

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 4 August 2016]

***SPOILERS*** Re-make of a 1960 "Twilight Zone" episode of the same title "Eye of the Beholder" has to do with a future society where being ugly or deformed is almost considered a crime and those who don't measure to the standards of being normal are locked away from the population in hippie like communes where they can't scare anyone with their shocking appearances. This has incredibly ugly looking Janet Tyler, Molly Sims, who's face is so hideous looking that were-the audience-not allowed to see it, it's covered with surgical bandages until the very end of the episode, to keep us from passing out! Janet who had already had 11 previous operations to improve her looks and make her at least look like a normal human being is now on her last leg or operation and if this don't work she's to be locked away with those, ugly people, of her own kind on some island or commune in the Atlantic Ocean for the rest of her sorry life.

The hospital staff including her doctor the strikingly handsome Reginald C. Hayes who's shown only in shadow almost throughout the entire episode: In that a little bit of him goes a long long way. That in order to keep the ladies in the audience from getting excited passing out and overheating-at the very sight of his good looks-tells Janet that this operation is it and if it doesn't work she'll have to be put away for life or, with government approval,euthanize if that what she wants. During all this time we see the "Leader" or "Furher",Roger Cross, also shown in shadow bellowing about how to make America beautiful by creating a "Master Race" of beautiful people and weeding out the sick deformed and ugly, like Janet,among us that's a scourge to the entire population.

***SPOILERS*** The shocking ending has the bandages removed from Janet's face to reveal her incredibly ugly, to those present, looks where she completely freaks out and tries to jump out of the nearest window to her death. It's finally when Janet is sedated and introduced to fellow likewise looking ugly person Mr. Smith,Chris Kramer,that she finally accepts her fate and goes off with him to a place-Hippie like commune-where being ugly is no big deal or a crime. With everyone there-Man & Women-looking like extras from a Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello "Beach Blanket Bingo" movie.

"Why shouldn't people be allowed to be different?"

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 30 March 2023]

There's no need to watch this episode if you've seen the original Rod Serling version from 1960. Written by Serling himself, 'Eye of the Beholder' is a faithful remake of the earlier story, with hospital patient Janet Taylor (Molly Sims) perhaps a bit more paranoid than the character of the same name when the show was done in black and white. My feelings about the this one are pretty much the same, as it explores notions of physical beauty, and plumbs the depths of racism, bigotry and narrow mindedness in a setting that's frighteningly reminiscent of dictatorship and government propaganda to obtain 'glorious conformity' to the state. It was a theme visited by Serling more than once, most notably with this program and the one titled 'The Obsolete Man' with Burgess Meredith. On its own, and even if you haven't seen the original show, this was a very well done story that keeps the tension level ratcheted high until the bandages are removed from patient Tyler's face. In the earlier version, the 'beautiful' people generally had faces that looked like swine, while here they are contorted in various ways so there's a difference in appearance among the hospital staff. Anyone seeing either version will always remember the first time they experience the twist that's revealed near the end, as the lovely actress bemoans her appearance as being ugly, challenging the viewer's notion of what constitutes real beauty.

Pure remake

[safenoe · 4/10 · 27 January 2022]

I'm all for the 2002 reboot of The Twilight Zone, which I think kind of inspired Black Mirror. But this episode was simply a simple remake of the original. No extra added twist at all. Kind of the same pretty much.

Lazy....just plain lazy.

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 15 February 2022]

A major problem I have had with the various reboots of "The Twilight Zone" is the occasional lack of originality. Too often, lazy producers bring us episodes which are remakes of old shows....and so there's no suspense whatsoever...which is a problem because suspense and surprise is why folks love the original show. Without that, you simply have an unimaginative show that no one could enjoy unless they never saw the original.

Of all the episodes of "The Twilight Zone" to remake, "Eye of the Beholder" is probably the worst choice, as so many know the twist AND the entire episode is pretty dull other than the twist...which everyone knows!

A woman is in the hospital for yet another operation for her deformed face. Of course, the episode NEVER shows anyone's face until the very end...therefore you will probably figure out the twist before it even occurs.

Overall, this version of the story offers no reason to exist other than to fill the time slot. Talk about a cynical episode!