Netflix crime drama: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dangerously portrays a complex murder case
On Sep. 19, 2024, Netflix released a second season of their “true crime anthology” series titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, following the first season titled The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Based on a murder case in 1989 where brothers Lyle and Erik killed their parents following many years of sexual abuse, the series has resurfaced public attention to their case, and has stirred controversy among watchers as to whether or not their case was justly portrayed. The brothers were sentenced to life in jail without the possibility of parole, following a series of trials, the first being widely televised and turning the brothers into a household name. 21 years later, the Netflix show has dramatized their case, adding questionable details, causing mixed reviews on whether or not it is accurately portraying an extremely difficult and intricate case.
Avry Girtsman ‘25 said, “Personally, I haven’t watched the show because of the questionable truths and ethics behind it. I’d rather watch a documentary based on truth.” Netflix also released a documentary on Oct. 7, which focused on fact and not a narrative.
Through his wife Tammi Menendez’s X account, Erik’s response to the show was “‘It is with a heavy heart that I say, Ryan Murphy [creator of Monsters] cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.’” Responding to the show’s critique, Murphy said the Menendez brothers should be “‘sending him flowers’” for the attention he has brought to their case.
Bailey Burman ‘25 said, “I don’t plan on watching the show, but I will watch the documentary once it’s out. I’d rather watch something based on truth.”
The show even suggests an incestuous relationship between the brothers, which Murphy defends as portraying multiple beliefs surrounding the true motives of the murders. It is dependent on a person’s decision to honor the brothers’ stance on the show surrounding their life, on whether or not to watch the controversial show.
After years of abuse and a lifetime sentence in prison, it is wrong to intentionally distort details of the Menendez’s brothers’ lives for the purpose of entertainment, and to paint it as true. If people are interested, they should watch a documentary or conduct their own research, as this is a real life incident, not just an act for dramatic purposes. Every story is complex, this one especially so, and the brothers deserve to be treated as people, not monsters.
