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"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" is Netflix's newest drama

Updated: Oct 2, 2024

September 20, 2024


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Courtesy Netflix (L-R): Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez, Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez, Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez, and Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez


"Monsters" is the latest drama from Netflix, following the lives of the two infamous Menendez brothers, Erik and Lyle, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in Beverly Hills. The series debuted on September 19 to positive acclaim, with all nine episodes available for streaming.


Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix, "Monsters" is the second installment of the Monster anthology series starring Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Cooper Koch, and Nathan Lane. The first installment, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which premiered in 2022, chronicled Jeffrey Dahmer's (Evan Peters) gruesome murders between 1978 and 1991. "Dahmer" was a monster hit for Netflix, surpassing 1 billion views in less than 60 days of viewership. The third installment will focus on serial killer Ed Gein, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam.


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Courtesy: Netflix


The series stars:



The Menendez brothers are two of the most notorious figures in modern-day history. Several documentaries, television series, and movie adaptations were produced when they became a national sensation with the broadcast of their CourtTV trial in 1993. The media sensationalism covering the murders of their parents, who were killed in their home, is almost on the level of the sensationalistic consumption of the OJ Simpson trial. People were fascinated by the murders. Two rich kids who killed their parents to obtain their wealth after the brothers went on an extravagant spending spree (Erik hired a personal tennis coach and competed in tennis tournaments in Israel) in the aftermath, relishing in their newfound freedom, were thrust into a whirlwind of lies and coverups when the police began to suspect them of the murders and focused on a motive.


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Courtesy: Netflix


The truth was finally revealed that the brothers killed their parents and were arrested in 1990 with an eventual confession by Erik to his psychologist, who then told his girlfriend, Judalon Smyth. She told police Erik had confessed to the killings in therapy, which was recorded on audio. At the trial, Lyle and Erik, then aged 21 and 18, alleged under oath that they killed their parents out of fear, detailing years of sexual and physical abuse they were subjected to by their parents, underscoring the substance abuse by his mother who encouraged the predatory abuse of their father. With further testimony in the trial, relatives and friends testified, backing the claims of years of torture the brothers endured. The brothers detailed the many confrontations they had with their parents leading up to the night of the murder when their father threatened to kill them if they told the truth. The brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after two intensely publicized trials.


"Monsters" chronicles the brothers' lives with veteran actors Javier Bardem, Chloe Sevigny, and Nathan Lane with newcomers Chavez and Koch bringing the gripping story to life. With outstanding performances by the entire cast, the series highlights the trauma of the brothers that was permeated with skepticism, but here, the brothers are humanized, reshaping the narrative as this iteration offers an explanation of the murders with fascinating insights into the human psyche. We are compelled to ask ourselves who were the real monsters.


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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is currently streaming now on Netflix.


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