The Menendez brothers star in new documentary to hit back at Ryan Murphy’s Monsters
It’s probably fair to say that there isn’t a person alive who hasn’t watched or at least heard of Ryan Murphy’s latest creation, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The limited series, which forms the second instalment of the biographical crime drama television show Monster, has made quite the splash with its release, dominating global entertainment headlines since it landed on the streaming service Netflix on 19 September 2024. And, evidently on the heels of the show’s success and a fresh round of backlash, Netflix is doubling down, having recently announced that a new documentary about the murder duo titled The Menendez Brothers.
After the real Erik Menendez blasted Murphy’s show for providing viewers with a “dishonest portrayal” of him and his brother Lyle, it looks like he’ll finally get the opportunity to tell their story their way.
The streaming platform has announced a new documentary comprised of original commentary by the Menendez brothers and some of their close relatives.
I guess Netflix knows when it has a hit on its hands. The season rose to the number one spot globally on the platform during its first weekend, garnering 12.3 million views (or 97.5 million hours viewed) within just five days of its release. These types of numbers don’t come by easily, so why not give the audience more of what it wants, right?
Who are Erik and Lyle Menendez?
In case you don’t know who the notorious brothers are, Lyle and Erik Menendez shocked the world in 1989 by murdering their parents, José and Mary Louise Menéndez, in their Beverly Hills home.
The Menendez brothers claimed that they committed the murders in self-defence after years of severe sexual, emotional, and physical abuse perpetrated by their parents, but specifically their father José Menéndez. The senior had amassed a significant fortune as the chief executive of LIVE Entertainment, an American film studio and home video company that was purchased by film studio Lions Gate Entertainment in 2003.
However, the prosecution argued that the true motivation was the sons’ desire to inherit the family’s whopping fortune. The case became a media sensation, culminating in the brothers’ convictions for first-degree murder and life sentences without the possibility of parole.
It’s no surprise then that the sordid story was closely followed by true-crime aficionados across the world, up until the sentencing and conviction of the Menendez brothers.
Murphy described the series as a “whodunnit,” which centres “60 to 65 per cent” on the abuse the brothers had suffered from their parents. But Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was also shrouded in controversy due to the depiction of an almost incestuous relationship between the brothers.
This led Erik Menendez to denounce the show for its inaccuracies, particularly the portrayal of his brother Lyle.
In the new documentary, director Alejandro Hartmann will go over decades of material surrounding the crime and the subsequent trial.
“For the first time in almost 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation,” Netflix stated.
The series will also feature commentary from their cousin Diane Vander Molen and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich. The new documentary will premiere on the streaming platform on 7 October 2024.
