Netflix's "Monsters" Fails to Capture the Menendez Brothers' True Complexity
Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story , attempts to dive into the infamous 1996 case where the two brothers were convicted of murdering their parents in Beverly Hills. The series, much like Murphy's previous Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story , takes on a real-life crime story for a mass audience. However, the show has sparked significant controversy, not just for its subject matter but for its sensationalist portrayal of the events. The Menendez case is already a notorious chapter in American legal history, with its shocking accusations of both gruesome violence and alleged long-term sexual abuse by the parents, but this Netflix rendition struggles to find the right balance between fact and fiction.
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Ryan Murphy, known for shows like American Horror Story and Glee , has drawn backlash from critics and viewers alike, much like he did with Dahmer . The Menendez family has openly condemned the series, calling it both "salacious" and "slanderous." One particularly controversial moment that raises eyebrows is a fabricated scene featuring the brothers showering together. This dramatization, with no evidence to back it, blurs the line between entertainment and truth, which is a key problem when portraying real-life tragedies. While true crime is often a delicate genre, the expectation is that it remains grounded in reality. Monsters seems to miss that point entirely.
The show’s main flaw lies in its inability to decide how it wants to portray the Menendez brothers. At some points, the series frames them as heartless murderers, at other times as victims of severe abuse. It doesn’t succeed in giving a clear picture, leaving viewers confused about which perspective they’re supposed to believe. Lyle, played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez, is especially inconsistent, swinging from a manipulative figure to a frightened child without any narrative logic. This lack of coherence makes it difficult for the audience to engage deeply with the characters or the story.
The tone of Monsters also shifts dramatically throughout the series, from harrowing scenes of alleged abuse to bizarrely upbeat moments, like the use of light pop music during scenes of immense violence. It’s jarring, to say the least, and these creative decisions only add to the show's lack of direction. Murphy’s attempt to blend a Tarantino-esque style with the heavy subject matter of generational trauma creates a mismatch, and ultimately, a mess.
Finally, the ethical implications of this series cannot be ignored. The Menendez brothers are still alive and serving life sentences, maintaining their claims of abuse to this day. Turning their case into a source of entertainment while dismissing the real trauma involved feels, at best, irresponsible. Murphy appears to have chosen sensationalism over sensitivity, a decision that’s not only drawn criticism but may also do more harm than good in understanding the brothers' case.
In the end, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is another example of Ryan Murphy’s tendency to over-dramatize true crime at the expense of accuracy and empathy. While it may be popular for the shocking elements it throws at viewers, the show fails to deliver a thoughtful or meaningful exploration of the complex tragedy at its core.
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