By Staff Reporter Lea Ernst
Courtesy of Netflix
After Ryan Murphy’s successful show “Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” he and Ian Brennan have now produced a second anthology of Monsters called “Monster - The Lyle and Erik Menendez story.” The show is based on the true story of the Menendez Brothers, who killed their parents for the family’s fortune. The real event happened in 1989 in Beverly Hills where the two brothers Lyle and Erik grew up with their parents José and Mary-Louise Menendez. The show was released Sept. 19, 2024 on Netflix. The show presents the dramatic murder of the boy's parents and their side of the story.
“The Menendez brothers are a complicated case,” producer Murphy said in a recent interview. ”I wanted to explore the idea of how unresolved trauma can push someone to do something unimaginable, without shying away from the brutality of the crime itself.”
After the murder of their parents, the Menendez brothers spent almost one million dollars in six months which raised suspicion, so they were accused. In court they were accused of killing their parents to get their inheritance. They said they did it because they had suffered sexual assault for many years.
“I have a tremendous amount of empathy for Lyle and what he’s experienced. I think that as actors, we’re tasked with tackling these really, really difficult roles, and it’s very easy to become emotionally attached to the characters that we play.” Actor Nicholas Chavez, who plays Lyle, said in an interview.
The emotions of the real Menendez Brothers are reflected by him and his Co-Star Cooper Koch and one can follow the events of their life and the court where both brothers were defended by lawyer Leslie Abramson, the actress Ari Graynor. Ultimately, the brothers were found guilty and are serving life in prison with no chance of parole. They are separate and also have their opinions about the new series about themselves.
Erik Menendez criticizes the show by saying that it gives the viewers a “dishonest portrayal” of him and Lyle. The show represents the brothers not only as victims but also as cold blooded killers.
“I know he hasn’t watched the show. So I find that curious,” Murphy said in an interview at the premiere of his new series “Grotesquerie.”
“I think overall Monsters is a good show, but compared to the real case it felt slightly different.” Natalyia Laciste, senior at Kennedy High said.
Although the case is shut, many people have sympathy for the Menendez Brothers as social media casted a good light on them. Viewers recommend watching the series to form an own opinion. It has brought the old case back to life and is currently in third place in the top ten series on Netflix in the USA.
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