The late 20th century, from the ‘70s to 2000, is considered the “golden age of serial murder.” This time period is when many of the most infamous serial killers operated, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy. As we become more technology-oriented and focused on entertainment and media, there’s been a growing abundance of documentaries with depictions of the stories of these killers. For example, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was released on Netflix in Sept. 2022. Now, two years later, a second part to the series has been released. Entitled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the nine-episode season tells the story of two brothers, Lyle and Erik Menendez, and how they murdered their parents after years of alleged mental, physical, and sexual abuse. The brothers committed the murders in 1989, when Lyle was 21 and Erik was 18. As shown in the series, the brothers underwent two trials for the case, which ultimately ended in a guilty verdict, and the brothers were sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole in 1996. Each episode in the series centers around a new person who was involved in the case, providing alternative perspectives. There’s been many conflicting opinions surrounding the new series. I thought it explored many different perspectives in the case, although there were some aspects of it that I found questionable.
Known for his writing, directing, and producing credits on Glee and American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy is also the creator of the Monster series. The show includes a variety of actors, featuring Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez. José Menendez is played by Javier Bardem, and Kitty Menendez is played by Chloe Sevigny. Amongst many other actors, including Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, and Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson (Erik Menendez’s lawyer), I found Koch’s performance in the series very moving, and it strongly provoked an emotional response from the audience. He seemed to genuinely connect with his character and implemented that into his performance. Aside from Koch’s performance, I also really enjoyed Graynor as Leslie Abramson. Playing the “big name defense lawyer,” I thought she really got into her character and exhibited a fiery personality, which I enjoyed.
My thoughts on Monsters
There were a variety of aspects I enjoyed about this series. I found the chronological progression of the storytelling to be interesting and encouraged the audience to continue watching. It wasn’t revealed from the very start that the brothers had allegedly been abused by their parents, but the show continued to hint at the idea of there being more underlying motives behind the murders. I also enjoyed the variation of stories told in the series. Aside from depicting the lives of the two brothers, the show also included stories about other characters, including the early life of the parents and their marriage. The show also included personal stories from other non-main characters, such as Dominick Dunne, Leslie Abramson, Dr. Jerome Oziel (the Menendez brothers’ therapist), and Judalon Smyth, (Oziel’s mistress and patient). I thought this aspect of the show added more intrigue and allowed for alternate perspectives. I also specifically enjoyed the fifth episode in the series, as it was a shorter segment that was just a conversation between Leslie Abramson and Erik Menendez. It was a very emotional discussion, but it allowed for the audience to really gain perspective into the brother’s personal side of the story and what happened to them throughout their lives.
While I did enjoy the series overall, there were some aspects I found to be a bit questionable. There were certain points in the show that suggested a potential incestuous relationship between the two brothers. There has been no actual proof towards this, and both brothers have testified in court that this isn’t true. Because of this, showrunner and writer Ryan Murphy has faced a lot of backlash from many people, including some of the members of the Menendez family. Tammi Menendez, Erik’s wife, expressed her feelings towards the show on X, describing it as “a complete train wreck” and “so exaggerated and untrue.” She also posted a statement from Erik, where he slams the show for the portrayal of him and his brother, describing it as “vile and appalling.” Murphy has since spoken out and backed the show, stating that he doesn’t think the brothers were involved in an incestuous relationship, but because some still speculate that they were, he incorporated it into the series.
After becoming informed of some of the backlash surrounding the show and reading statements from Murphy, I became slightly turned off by the series. Although, I do think it is bringing a lot of potentially good publicity to the brothers and may aid them in their journey to freedom. As Netflix is one of the most popular and well-known streaming services, this series allows for many more people to become informed on their situation. Additionally, there has since been an announcement for a new documentary entitled The Menendez Brothers, being released on Oct. 7 on Netflix. This documentary will be from the brothers themselves, speaking on the trial for the first time in almost 30 years. I think this new documentary is a good outcome from Murphy’s series, and I really look forward to hearing from the brothers themselves.
At this point in time, both Erik and Lyle are being held in the same facility in California, after being separated for over 20 years. While I had been educated slightly on this case beforehand, I learned a lot more when the Monsters series came out – some of it being from the series itself, but a large majority of the show enticed me to do my own further research. While it may have been well produced and interesting, it may not have been entirely accurate, which is what throws me off. I did enjoy the series as a whole, and I immensely look forward to the release of The Menendez Brothers and hearing their own personal perspectives.