Who’s the Monster?
An exploration of the Ryan Murphy Netflix TV series ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.’
One evening in 1989, a couple were brutally murdered in their Beverly Hills mansion.
The killers were their two sons- Erik and Lyle Menendez.
The murder of Kitty and Jose Menendez has recently gained attention in the media three decades later due to the Netflix TV series by Ryan Murphy, ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.’
Ryan Murphy is an American television writer and director best known for his shows such as; American Horror Story, Scream Queens, and Monster: Dahmer. ‘Monsters’ has been the most viewed on Netflix since it premiered on September 19th. However, the series has created some controversy over social media, many are debating whether an ethical line was crossed in creating the Netflix series.
The series investigates the story of the Menendez brothers, which is heavily focused on domestic and verbal abuse, as well as the sexual assault the boys faced by their parents. In addition to this being a sensitive topic to create a show about, there was no consent given by the family to develop this crime drama.
This raises the question- do we have the right to talk about the brothers’ experience? Without Erik and Lyles’ consent, Netflix has exploited the brothers’ personal lives, to make their tragedy our entertainment. Joan Vandermolen, Erik and Lyles's Aunt responded to the series; “it’s a phobic, gross, anachronistic serial episodic nightmare that only riddled with mistruths and outright falsehoods.”
And this isn’t the first time Netflix has rewritten the truth. Netflix is currently being sued by Fiona Harvey for the hit TV series Baby Reindeer. Netflix labelled the series as; ‘This is a True Story’, however, the story was written, directed and starred by one of the characters, Richard Gadd, therefore only expressing one half of the truth and making Fiona look like the villain, which ultimately put her in danger to the public.
So how much licence does Hollywood have to re-write history?
Similarly to Fiona Harvey, many believe Ryan Murphy made the Menendez brothers look spoilt and rude, in particular Lyle Menendez. Tammi, Erik’s wife shared Erik’s statement on X last week, stating; “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crimes has taken the painful truths several steps backwards.” Many have also testified that the character in the ‘Monsters’ series didn’t truly represent the real Lyle Menendez. Erik commented; “I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naïve and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so to do this without bad intention.”
Ryan Murphy told Entertainment Tonight in an interview; “I think it’s interesting that he has stated without seeing the show… We had an obligation as storytellers to try and put in their (Kitty and Jose) perspectives.” Ryan Murphy mentions how writing a script based on their story will have controversy since he is writing from all points of view. He stated that it was a “Rashomon approach”; there were four ‘truths’, and only two can tell their side of the story. The series presents all the points of view and theories since many were involved in the case, and Ryan Murphy believed he had an obligation to show all of them, even if Eric and Lyle didn’t approve.
Although the parents can’t tell their truth, the real issue with the Netflix series is the reliving of the brothers’ trauma, and without their consent. Erik and Lyle had gone through years of abuse and the new TV series brings it all back up again. Cooper Koch the actor who played Erik Menendez said he could “understand where he’s coming from… it’s difficult to have your life dramatized… and have the biggest trauma that’s defined you”. Koch also affirmed to The Movie Podcast that he “went into the show with one truth, Erik’s truth.” And after meeting Erik for the first time at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, he “continued to support my belief that I have felt about them the whole time.”
Society has had a long love affair with killers, and the new TV series is a clear example of Hollywood profiting off these traumas. People on TikTok and Instagram have even commented on posts that the series is their new “comfort show”. Let’s remember this is a show about two boys who murdered their parents due to the sexual assault they had endured for most of their lives. The series has caused many conversations on the ethics within Hollywood, it has also raised the Menendez Brothers case to a new generation. With a new attitude towards male sexual abuse, as well as new evidence, the Menendez brothers await a decision they hope will set them free after 35 years behind bars.