Ava Alexopoulos
Ever since the Netflix series Dahmer gained popularity, producers Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan return with a new Monsters series. The new limited series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Story was released on September 19th, 2024, and reached sky-rocketing views in the first weekend of the release.
This new Monsters season recreates the harrowing events regarding the infamous Menendez brothers case in 9 episodes. It stars Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez, Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez, and Chloe Sevigny as Kitty Menendez. The new series has audiences questioning whether or not the series accurately represents the Menendez brothers and if they’re truly the monsters.
The real-life case involves two brothers named Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted in 1996 for murdering their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home on the night of August 20th, 1989. The brothers initially told police that they found their parents dead and were eventually caught due to audiotape recordings of their confessions. During the trials, the brothers claim that the murders were committed due to self-defense after years of sexual and physical abuse. Both of the brothers were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
In this adaptation of the notorious crime, each of the nine episodes explores the different perspectives of good and evil between the parents and the brothers. We’re given the question of whether or not the brothers are cold-blooded killers who only want possession of their parent’s fortune. Although there is a lot of tension to witness, there have been heated debates about the accuracy represented in the series.
The show exaggerates certain aspects by using upbeat music to make it more entertaining to viewers. Certain songs made by the group, Milli Vanilli are featured in playful scenes with the brothers to make light of the situation after killing their parents.
Lyle and Erik are first seen as spoiled rich kids who have shopping sprees and are relieved by the aftermath. As we dive deeper into the episodes, we now see them as survivors of trauma when they confess. Lyle’s portrayal comes off as aggressive, while Erik comes off as pitiful. The parents’ perspectives show the brothers being a dangerous force towards them because of their constant outbursts.
Throughout the series, it shifts into a darker approach to the case. In Episode 5, “The Hurt Man” Erik recounts the abuse he suffers to his lawyer Leslie Abramson, which is all done in one whole shot for 35 minutes. The conversations about the alleged abuse are heart-wrenching in multiple therapy sessions and court trials.
The series received major criticism since audiences believed that the trauma wasn’t accurately presented. The main controversy centered around an incestuous relationship between the brothers after killing their parents, which was never the case in real life. Certain scenes showed the brothers kissing, dancing, and even showering together.
The real-life Erik Menendez released a statement regarding the show’s release by calling it a “blatant lie” for the dishonest portrayals of the tragedies. He clapped at Ryan Murphy for inaccurately portraying male sexual abuse and the vile character portrayal of Lyle.
Ryan Murphy responded to the controversy by stating, “It’s a lot of faux outrage” in defense of the series. He stood by his portrayals presented in the show and presented it as the best thing to happen to the Menendez brothers in 30 years. Although Murphy had never met with the Menendez brothers, he wanted to grasp the audience’s attention to the discussion on who the real monsters are.
To this day, it’s still debatable whether the Menendez brothers are the true monsters. The case has sparked public interest and has made the crime more popular than it ever was. True crime often glamorizes the killers, and it’s clear to tell the difference between a documentary and a fictional series.
