MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY (2024) – Another excellent true crime horror from Ryan Murphy

In 2022 Ryan Murphy produced one of the year’s most provocative and disturbing true crime drama series Dahmer, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. He is back this year with another equally if not more controversial true story of the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989. The series have maintained and possibly exceeded its high standards with this one. We see the crime being committed and then follow the process of how they were arrested and undergo two trails and begin to form our own opinions on what really happened. Of course, the ultimate truth lies with the brothers themselves and how much of what they reveal about what prompted them to do what they did is true or simply fabricated.

Here is where the series’ brilliance lie. We begin to question who the “monsters” referred to in the series are. If we look at the cold-blooded way in which the brothers gunned down their parents as the obvious monsters here, we have to assume that much of what they tell their lawyers and court were outrageous lies. If what they say were trues, then, that makes their parents come across as the monsters of the piece. Perhaps Ryan Murphy is the true monster here in his retelling of all these abhorrent and unimaginable true crime stories and bringing the monsters into the safe sanctuary of our homes.

Putting all such psychological notions aside, this new Monsters season is yet another dazzling display of TV at its best. The performances from the cast are so bona fide you simply get drawn in to the story and becomes invested in their story. Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez were excellent as they both delivered career defining award worthy performances as the brothers. This is showcased with their raw, and vulnerable portrayal. There were also numerous close-up moments including an amazing single take of Nicholas Alexander Chavez in a monologue that lasts over 30 minutes! The series is confident enough to experiment with their artistic instinct and this pays off as it makes the series even more fascinating to watch. The rest of the cast is also great especially Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny as the parents José and Kitty Menendez. The other standout is Ari Graynor as Leslie Abrahamson, the criminal defense lawyer for the brothers. Each one of these characters are so well fleshed out that they come across as compelling as the main characters.

Apart from the performances, the details put in place in the settings, costumes, makeup and music brings the era of 1980’s and 1990’s to live. When checking in the internet for how the real life people looked, we can see the efforts put in to make the actors look the part.

Monsters Season Two is definitely one of this year’s best TV series and the good news is Ryan Murphy is already planning for a follow up Season Three which will be based on another infamous killer and grave robber, Ed Gein who will be played by Charlie Hunnam.