Over here at Dread Central, we previously discussed how Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was one of the most-viewed series ever on Netflix. Coming in at number three behind only Wednesday and Stranger Things 4, the series was a monstrous success for the streamer.
Like most Ryan Murphy genre properties, the series was envisioned from the start as an anthology, and now we have a trailer for the second part of the Monster series. Check out the trailer and synopsis for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story below:
Per Netflix: This riveting true-crime drama probes the lives of the Menendez brothers, convicted of the brutal 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story stars Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik Menéndez respectively, while Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny (forever tethered to the extended-Ryan-Murphy-verse, it seems) star as José and Kitty Menéndez, the parents Lyle and Erik would be convicted of killing.
At the original trial, the brothers testified they committed the murders out of fear their own father, José, would kill them first after the brothers threatened to expose the years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse they endured. The prosecution, for their part, argued the brothers were simply interested in their father’s massive, multimillion-dollar estate.
Originally, the brothers were tried independently of the other, though after two mistrials, the brothers were tried together and later convicted. Presently, they are both serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. The pair have continued to speak from prison, regularly granting interviews and even introducing new evidence that purportedly demonstrates their father’s history of abuse years before he was killed.
Now, whether Ryan Murphy and company possess the requisite tact to make this all work remains to be seen. Speculatively, the show looks to dive into not just the allegations of abuse, but also the sordid rumors about the brothers and the nature of their relationship. Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was criticized for being exploitative, and without the right care and judgement, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story might just be the same. We’ll know for certain when the series releases September 19 on Netflix.
What do you think? Were you a fan of the first season of Monster? Any interest in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, or do you think the first season pushed things too far? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
Categorized:News
