Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Main

• Javier Bardem as José Menendez:
  Lyle and Erik's father. Born in Cuba, he was a wealthy and powerful businessman in the entertainment industry, serving as an executive at RCA Records and the CEO of Live Entertainment. He is portrayed as an ambitious and controlling father who imposes high expectations on his sons. Lyle and Erik allege that they killed José in self-defense after years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.^[1] This marks the first series regular role for Bardem, who has primarily worked in major films. He described José as "this commanding man [who] really thinks and feels that he's absolutely right all the time, and that has to be obeyed by others."^[2] Speaking to TheWrap, he admitted that he was initially unfamiliar with the case, but after "digging in and informing [himself]", he was alarmed by the extent of the alleged sexual abuse.^[3] Bardem also served as an executive producer.
• Chloë Sevigny as Mary Louise "Kitty" Menendez:
  Lyle and Erik's mother who struggled with mental health issues, including depression, alcoholism, and substance abuse. Lyle and Erik claim that Kitty had been complicit in the alleged abuse they suffered from their father. In describing Kitty, Sevigny expressed doubt about whether Kitty intentionally ignored the sexual abuse the brothers claim they endured from their father.^[4] She connected with a director whose wife was friends with Kitty, stating, "I'm trying to get in touch with her to hear her personal accounts, which I generally don't like to do, but there's so much negative stuff about Kitty that I feel like it could be really beneficial to hear from someone that did know her."^[4]
• Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez:
  The younger Menendez brother, who, along with his older brother Lyle, killed their parents in 1989.^[1] An 18-year-old tennis prodigy, he is portrayed as the more sensitive brother grappling with guilt, depression, and emotional trauma. Koch previously auditioned for the role of Erik Menendez in the NBC limited series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders and the Lifetime television film Menendez: Blood Brothers (both 2017).^[5] Prior to the season premiere, Koch had a phone call with Lyle and Erik, and they later met at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility for Kim Kardashian's project on prison reform.^[6] On his dedication to the role, Koch explained, "I just really wanted to do as much research and dig really deep into myself to really portray [Erik] with integrity and just be as authentic as possible to support him, and also to support his family and all the people who stand with him."^[7] He has publicly advocated for their release and remains in contact with both brothers.^[8]
• Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez:
  The older Menendez brother, who, along with his younger brother Erik, killed their parents in 1989.^[1] A 21-year-old aspiring businessman and Princeton University student, he is portrayed as the more confident, intense, and aggressive brother who is protective of Erik. Chavez revealed that he had no prior knowledge about the case before auditioning for the role.^[9] In preparation, he said he "had to do an extensive amount of research" and described Lyle as a "compelling and complicated character".^[9] Chavez declined to meet Lyle Menendez in prison, stating that it was his way of moving on from the character.^[10]
• Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson:
  Erik's lead defense attorney. A notable criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles, she is known for her tenacious and aggressive courtroom style.^[1] Graynor stated, "[Leslie] is an extraordinary lawyer, but she was an extraordinary person, and such a spirit, and fierce and loving."^[2] She revealed that she didn't reach out to Abramson while preparing for her role, as she knew the attorney "had made it pretty clear that she never wanted to speak about any of her cases".^[11]
• Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne:
  A prominent journalist known for his keen interest in high-profile criminal cases. Dunne was a key voice in shaping public perception of the brothers' story through his article The Nightmare on Elm Drive for Vanity Fair.^[12] He is portrayed to be holding resentment against defense attorneys and murderers after the death of his daughter, Dominique Dunne, and the subsequent acquittal of her ex-boyfriend and killer.^[1] Lane described Dunne as "a passionate advocate for victims and [that's] why he's looking out for José and Kitty".^[2] He also approached Dunne's son, actor and director Griffin Dunne, who offered his perspective on the trial of John Sweeney for the murder of his sister.^[13]

Recurring

• Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel, Erik's therapist to whom Erik confesses the murders
• Jason Butler Harner as Det. Les Zoeller, a Beverly Hills Police detective assigned to investigate the deaths of José and Kitty
• Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth, Dr. Oziel's mistress who becomes entangled in Lyle and Erik's case
• Marlene Forte as Marta Cano, José's sister
• Larry Clarke as Brian Andersen, Kitty's brother
• Charlie Hall as Craig Cignarelli, Erik's best friend who, along with Erik, co-wrote a screenplay about a kid who kills his wealthy parents for the inheritance

Guest

• Jeff Perry as Peter Hoffman, an executive at Live Entertainment and José's business acquaintance
• Jade Pettyjohn as Jamie Pisarcik, Lyle's girlfriend at the time of the murders
• Tanner Stine as Perry Berman, Lyle and Erik's friend
• Enrique Murciano as Carlos Baralt, José's brother-in-law and the executor of the Menendez family's estate
• Anthony Turpel as Donovan Goodreau, Lyle's friend whose driver's license was used to purchase the shotguns
• Drew Powell as Det. Tom Linehan, a Beverly Hills Police detective and Det. Zoeller's partner
• Michael Gladis as Tim Rutten, Leslie's husband who is a journalist for the Los Angeles Times
• Gil Ozeri as Dr. William Vicary, a therapist who examines Erik for the trials
• Salvator Xuereb as Robert Shapiro, Erik and Lyle's first criminal defense attorney
• Brandon Santana as Tony, an inmate at LA County Jail who becomes sexually involved with Erik
• Tessa Auberjonois as Dr. Laurel Oziel, Dr. Oziel's wife
• Jess Weixler as Jill Lansing, Lyle's lead defense attorney in the first trial
• Milana Vayntrub as Pam Bozanich, a prosecutor in the first trial
• Paul Adelstein as David Conn, a prosecutor in the second trial
• Patrick Breen as a jury alternate who replaces Leigh in the second trial^[14]
• Vicki Lawrence as Leigh, a juror in the second trial^[15]
• Yvonne Miranda as Lisa Darview, a newscaster delivering the final verdict

Development

Series co-creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan also served as co-writers; Brennan directed the episode "Seismic Shifts".

Monster was initially ordered as a limited series based on the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. On November 7, 2022, Netflix announced that it had been renewed as an anthology series based on famous convicted killers.^[16][17] On May 1, 2023, it was confirmed the second season, titled Monsters, would focus on Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers convicted of the 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills, California.^[18] Creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan revealed that the project was inspired by the popularity of the case on TikTok and Instagram, where content creators have sparked a movement in support of the brothers.^[19] Murphy, who had personally followed the trials since moving to Los Angeles in 1989 at the same age as the brothers, noted his initial skepticism toward their abuse allegations but emphasized the series' intent to spark dialogue on male sexual abuse and societal biases at the time.^[20] Brennan echoed this, stating that the topic was relevant due to a modern "vernacular" for discussing trauma and mental health that was absent during the trials.^[21]

Writing

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was co-written by Murphy, Brennan, David McMillan, Reilly Smith, and Todd Kubrak.^[22]

The season employs a Rashomon-style narrative structure, presenting the murders of José and Kitty Menendez and the brothers' allegations of sexual abuse from multiple conflicting perspectives.^[23] It alternates between the viewpoints of multiple characters, including the Menendez family, defense attorney Leslie Abramson, and journalist Dominick Dunne, among others. Murphy described the approach as a deliberate choice to avoid a singular "truth," emphasizing ambiguity in the brothers' abuse claims and the parents' behavior.^[24] Brennan elaborated on the format's inspiration from Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film Rashomon, noting its utility in true crime storytelling where evidence is contested.^[25] He highlighted how the format challenges viewers to question media portrayals of the Menendez case.^[25]

The season's fifth episode, titled "The Hurt Man", was written by Brennan and directed by Michael Uppendahl.^[26] According to Murphy, it was not initially planned as a one-shot episode, but during the writing process, he realized that "the most powerful way to do it would be [...] in one shot so that [viewers] could not look away", as his goal was "to give Erik Menendez his day in court, to talk about what had happened to him uninterrupted, with no bias".^[27] He stated that the dialogue was based on Erik's documented statements, transcripts, and writings to maintain authenticity.^[27] Three days prior to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, Brennan completed the 34-page screenplay of the episode in one sitting for three hours.^[28] Koch received the screenplay in June that year, nine months before they filmed the episode in March 2024.^[29] He stated, "The script became the backbone of my [preparation for the role] because it was the backstory that I didn't have to write for myself, for the character."^[29] Brennan shared the full screenplay to Deadline in June 2025.^[28]

Casting

Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny portrayed José and Kitty Menendez, respectively.

Casting directors Tiffany Little Canfield and Josh Einsohn conducted an extensive search for the roles of Lyle and Erik Menendez, reaching out to colleges and theater programs.^[30] According to Einsohn, it was essential to find actors capable of portraying both the "sympathetic and monstrous sides" of the characters, given the plot's shifting perspective. Canfield and Einsohn reviewed thousands of auditions during the process.^[31] In June 2023, Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez were cast as Erik and Lyle, respectively.^[32] Koch previously auditioned for the same role in the NBC limited series Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders and the Lifetime television film Menendez: Blood Brothers (both 2017).^[5]

In January 2024, Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny joined the cast as José and Kitty Menendez,^[33] respectively, with Nathan Lane being cast as journalist Dominick Dunne.^[34] All three had previously worked with Murphy: Bardem starred in the 2010 film Eat Pray Love, Sevigny appeared in two seasons of American Horror Story, and Lane portrayed F. Lee Bailey in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016). In February, Ari Graynor joined as Erik's defense attorney, Leslie Abramson.^[35] Leslie Grossman, who has worked with Murphy in multiple seasons of American Horror Story, was added that same month as Judalon Smyth.^[36]

Principal photography

Production for the season was initially set for September 2023, but was postponed due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes.^[38] Principal photography took place from January to July 2024 in Los Angeles.^[39] Jason McCormick, a frequent collaborator of Murphy, served as the cinematographer for six out of nine episodes,^[40] while Baz Idoine handled the remaining three.^[41] The episodic directors were Michael Uppendahl, Ian Brennan, Carl Franklin, Paris Barclay, and Max Winkler.^[42]

To recreate late-1980s Los Angeles, production designer Matthew Flood Ferguson and set decorator Melissa Licth utilized both location shooting and soundstage builds.^[43] The interior of the Menendez family home in Beverly Hills was constructed on a soundstage to allow for historical accuracy.^[44] Key architectural details from the actual family room where the crime took place were meticulously recreated, including the vaulted beamed ceilings, the specific distance from the French doors to the furniture, and the oversized built-in bookcase.^[43][44] The exterior was a composite of three separate locations: one for the front of the property, a second for the pool and guest house, and a third for the tennis court.^[45] Ferguson noted that finding a period-appropriate tennis court was difficult because the United States Tennis Association had changed court colors from green to blue in the years since the murders, eventually leading the production to locate a private court that still featured the original green surface.^[46][45]

Other iconic Los Angeles settings were also featured; the restaurant Spago and the Directors Guild of America building were shot on location, while the interior of Dominick Dunne's Chateau Marmont suite was reconstructed on a soundstage.^[43][44] To ensure accuracy, Ferguson and supervising art director Helen Harwell surveyed an actual suite at the Chateau Marmont to replicate details such as the casement doors and the wrap-around balcony.^[43]

For the fifth episode, "The Hurt Man", which was filmed in a single continuous take, Ferguson designed an interview room set with removable walls to accommodate the camera crane's movement.^[47] He incorporated an interior casement window on a hinge to serve as a visual element that could also open to allow for specific camera placements during the unbroken shot.^[47]

Uppendahl opted minimal rehearsal for "The Hurt Man" to preserve authenticity, with Koch and Graynor only rehearsing once on set before filming.^[48][49] McCormick began with a static shot and gradually zoomed in on Koch's face, while Graynor's face remained unseen as she slowly disappeared from the shot.^[50] A total of eight takes were filmed over two days; the eighth and final take was selected for the final broadcast.^[51] Koch described the process as emotionally draining and "super nerve-wracking," citing that his performance in the first two takes felt dry due to his nervousness around Murphy.^[52]

The murder sequence was filmed over three to four days, which Koch described as heavily choreographed and technically demanding.^[53] Although the series depicts multiple versions of the killings from differing perspectives, the version shown in the episode "Blame It on the Rain" most closely reflects the crime scene photos and accounts presented during the trials.^[54]

At one point during filming, Koch and Chavez visited the former Menendez residence on Elm Drive in Beverly Hills and were allowed to enter the house.^[55]

Editing

According to editor Peggy Tachdjian, the first episode, "Blame It on the Rain", was structured to introduce the Menendez family, depict the murder of José and Kitty Menendez, and portray the aftermath and funeral sequence, while balancing dramatic elements with moments of dark comedy.^[56] Tachdjian stated that Murphy sought to depict the severity of the crime early in the season in order to establish it as the central narrative event. As a result, the murder sequence was carefully storyboarded and rehearsed, with production recreating elements of the reported crime scene.^[56] Tachdjian's initial edit leaned toward a serious tone, but director Carl Franklin encouraged incorporating elements of dark humor, particularly in the funeral scene featuring the Milli Vanilli song "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You", which was extended in post‑production to emphasize its "awkwardness".^[56]

Music

Thomas Newman co-composed the original score alongside his daughter, Julia Newman.^[57] The official soundtrack album, titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series), was released by Netflix Music on September 13, 2024, featuring 37 tracks of original music.^[58]

The soundtrack also features a selection of licensed songs: "Blame It on the Rain", "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You", and "Girl You Know It's True" by Milli Vanilli, as well as "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House, "Dirty Cash (Money Talks)" by The Adventures of Stevie V, "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, "The Power" by Snap!, "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac, "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt, and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee.^[59][60]

Audience viewership

The season debuted at the number-one spot on Netflix worldwide, garnering 12.3 million views (or 97.5 million hours viewed) within four days of its release.^[64] On its second week, it remained the most-watched series on the platform after earning 19.5 million views (or 153.8 million hours viewed).^[65] It received 13.1 million views (or 103.6 million hours viewed) on its third week and 8.7 million views (or 68.6 million hours viewed) on its fourth week, demonstrating a modest week-to-week decline and sustained viewer engagement.^[66][67] The season remained in Netflix's global Top 10 chart for seven weeks, matching the record set by Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. According to Netflix's Engagement Report for the second half of 2024 (July–December), Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ranked as the third most-watched television series and the most-watched limited series on the platform, accumulating 69.7 million views within three months.^[68]

On the Nielsen Streaming Chart, it debuted as the top one streaming content (both for films and television series) with 1.72 billion minutes watched, and had a 40% rise on its second week with 2.4 billion minutes watched, the highest since Bridgerton in June 2024.^[69]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 45% of 31 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Well-acted but off-puttingly sordid, Monsters leaves viewers feeling guilty without enough pleasure to compensate."^[70] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 47 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[71]

Critics praised the one-shot episode "The Hurt Man" for its emotional depth and Cooper Koch's performance, but expressed mixed reactions to the season's overall tone and its use of the Rashomon effect, a narrative technique that presents events through conflicting perspectives.^[72][73][74] In his review for Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson praised the episode as "a formal wonder, bold in its simplicity", and described Koch's performance as "[blazing] with ache and fury, wholly selling a story of how trauma has unmoored one young man from both himself and reality."^[72] However, Lawson critiques the season's overall inconsistency, observing that while "The Hurt Man" evokes empathy, subsequent episodes cast doubt on Erik's credibility and portray the brothers more cynically. This tonal shift, according to Lawson, undermines the impact of the episode and makes it disconnected from the rest of the season. Inkoo Kang of The New Yorker also highlighted "The Hurt Man" as "some of Murphy's most moving and startling work in ages", but critiqued that the remaining episodes "attempt to reconcile the horror of abuse with the horror of the brothers' retributive violence".^[73]

Aramide Tinubu of Variety praised the first half of the season, highlighting "The Hurt Man" as a standout, and commended the cast's performances.^[74] However, she ultimately described the season as "overlong and exhausting", calling its narrative "futile and bizarre". Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter similarly described the season as "unjustifiably long", but praised "The Hurt Man" for its writing and Koch's performance.^[75] He further commended Javier Bardem's performance, calling him "terrifying in a performance that's wildly outsized but offers enough subtlety to position his howling patriarch as both a chilling villain and as a victim himself". The Guardian's Jesse Hassenger also offered a mixed review, noting that "high class acting can't save an overlong and repetitive relitigation", as the season failed to balance its complex subject matter with a compelling narrative.^[76] He added that Koch's emotional performance contrasts with that of Nicholas Alexander Chavez, whom Hassenger described as "doing a coked-up impression of Tom Cruise." Similarly, The Hindu's Pallavi Keswani criticized it as "a sensational mess, so occupied with the ornamentation of facts that it loses the plot halfway through".^[77]

Several critics have also expressed concerns about the season's ethical implications and its sexualized approach.^[78][79] Kayleigh Donaldson of TheWrap described it as "something giddily salacious rather than a portrait of familial trauma", noting that, despite dealing with sensitive topics such as sexual assault and child abuse, it becomes "hugely misguided" for focusing on "sensuality, with the brothers both forever in Speedos and shot as though the series was a perfume ad".^[78] The Express Tribune's Mahnoor Vazir also raised ethical questions regarding the "exploitation" of real-life tragedies for entertainment.^[79] While Vazir praised "The Hurt Man" for being "painfully intimate" and "a masterclass in filmmaking", she criticized the season for failing to sustain this tone and momentum, missing the opportunity to properly explore male sexual abuse. Furthermore, she condemned the portrayal of an unsubstantiated incestuous relationship between the brothers as "cheap and entirely unnecessary".

Controversy

The season received widespread criticism for implying an incestuous relationship between the Menendez brothers.^[80][81] Kevin Dolak of The Hollywood Reporter specified some of the scenes with incest innuendos: "In the second episode, this includes the brothers briefly kissing after Lyle has placed his hands on Erik's neck; later in the same sequence, Lyle is seen cutting in on Erik while he's dancing with a woman at a party in their room at the Hotel Bel-Air, then wiping cocaine from his nose and sticking his thumb in his brother's mouth. Later, in an episode seven sequence that is pretty clearly telegraphed as a moment of fantasy, mother Kitty Menendez ascends a staircase to find her sons showering together."^[82] Nicole Vassell from Glamour described the incestuous portrayal as "a jarring addition to a story that is already tough to stomach".^[83] Writing for TheWrap, Kayleigh Donaldson stated that the brothers' "co-dependency stemming from their father's molestations [...] are spun into a forbidden romance of sorts".^[78] Viewers have also accused it of sensationalizing the brothers' abuse and turning it into a "fictitious relationship".^[84]

Trial expert and journalist Robert Rand, author of the 2018 book The Menendez Murders, labeled the incest allegations as "fantasy" and pointed out that there was no credible evidence to support such claims.^[85] He explained that while some rumors circulated during the trial, they were baseless, and the series distorted the brothers' relationship for dramatic effect. Rand claimed that Lyle Menendez testified he had never had a sexual relationship with his brother.^[82]

In response, series co-creator Ryan Murphy defended the incestuous depiction as an "obligation for storytellers", stating, "What the show is doing is presenting the points of view and theories from so many people who were involved in the case. Dominick Dunne wrote several articles talking about that theory."^[86] Vanity Fair clarified that Dunne never suggested such a theory in his reporting for the publication.^[10][87]

Response from Lyle and Erik Menendez

On September 20, 2024, Erik Menendez released a statement through his wife's, Tammi Menendez, X account, stating:

I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show. I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.

It is sad for me to know that Netflix's dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward – back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women. Those awful lies have been disputed and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out. So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.

Is the truth not enough? Let the truth stand as the truth. How demoralizing to know that one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma. Violence is never an answer, never a solution, and is always tragic. As such, I hope it is never forgotten that violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes darkly shadowed behind glitter and glamor and rarely exposed until tragedy penetrates everyone involved. To all those who have reached out and supported me, thank you from the bottom of my heart.^[88]

Addressing Erik's response, Ryan Murphy stated, "If you watch the show, I would say 60 to 65 percent of our show in the scripts and in the film form center around the abuse and what they claim happened to them. [...] And we do it very carefully and we give them their day in court and they talk openly about it."^[89] He added, "There were four people involved in that— two of them are dead, and two of them are alive with their point of view. But what about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did."^[89] In a different interview, he further explained that the season incorporated the Rashomon effect to "[talk] about countless perspectives, and a perspective is not a lie. A perspective is an opinion."^[90]

Nathan Lane, who portrayed Dominick Dunne, stated, "[Erik] hasn't seen the show. He's just criticizing it and condemning it without ever having seen it, so one has to take that with a grain of salt."^[7] Meanwhile, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who portrayed Lyle Menendez, responded to Erik with "sympathy and empathy", but clarified that "the show aims to fill out a lot more details than just the courtroom scenes".^[91]

Reflecting on Erik's criticism, Cooper Koch, who portrayed him, said, "It definitely affected me and it made me feel things. [...] I understand how difficult it would be to have the worst part of your life be televised for millions of people to see. It's so exposing. I understand how he feels and I stand by him."^[7] Koch voiced his support for the brothers and their claims of sexual abuse, revealing that he discussed Erik's criticisms with him during their meeting at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.^[92] During this visit, Koch also met Lyle and over 30 other inmates as part of a prison reform meeting led by Kim Kardashian.^[92] Despite Erik's criticism of the series, he praised Koch's performance, stating, "I've heard nothing but great things about [Koch] and about episode five, and that [he's] going to win an Emmy. And I hope that [he does]."^[10]

On February 20, 2025, in an interview with TMZ, Lyle Menendez stated that he and Erik are grateful that the series shed light on child abuse.^[93] He also praised Koch and Chavez for their performances, calling Koch "pretty extraordinary".

Response from relatives of Lyle and Erik Menendez

On September 25, 2024, Lyle and Erik Menendez's family and relatives issued a statement, describing the season as "a phobic, gross, anachronistic, serial episodic nightmare". They added, "Our family has been victimized by this grotesque shockadrama. [...] Perhaps, after all, Monsters is all about Ryan Murphy."^[94] Murphy described their response as "faux outrage" and predictable, claiming that Monsters is "the best thing that's happened to [the Menendez brothers] in 30 years", referring to the renewed public interest in their case following the season's commercial success.^[95]

Accolades