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Flanked between the murder of Rodney King and O.J Simpson’s trial was the case of Lyle and Erik Menendez—two affluent and athletic brothers who were convicted of killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. At the time of their murder in 1998 and subsequent indictment in 1993, their court case became a national sensation with every prosecutorial argument and defence televised like a reality show. Now, as both Menendez brothers currently serve life sentences without the possibility of parole in the same San Diego correctional centre, Ryan Murphy is once again bringing their tale to the small screen.
Content Warning: The following story contains mention of sexual abuse that may be distressing to some readers.
Following the success of the first season of the biographical true crime series, the producer has chosen the story of the Menendez brothers as the anthology’s latest instalment. Titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the episodes will “dive into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?” as per the log line.
The unanswered questions about the brothers’ motives are at the core of the story. The Menendez brothers claimed it was an act of self-defence after suffering years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. The state argued they murdered their parents to inherit their immense fortune.
With the show bringing their story back to the stand, keep scrolling ahead for everything you need to know about Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Who Is Starring In Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story?
Newcomers Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch will lead the series as the titular perpetrators, Lyle and Erik Menendez. Their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez will be played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny.
Ari Graynor will play Los Angeles criminal defence attorney Leslie Abramson, who served as lead counsel for Erik during their trial. Leslie Grossman will play Judalon Smyth, the former patient and mistress of Erik’s psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Oziel. Erik confessed the crimes to Oziel in 1989, with Smyth revealing the brother’s role in their parent’s death to police in 1993.
Rounding out the cast is Dallas Roberts as the aforementioned therapist and Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, an investigative journalist who covered the trials for Vanity Fair.
Is There A Trailer For Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Yes. Netflix released a teaser for the upcoming series on the 35th anniversary of José and Kitty Menendez’s death on August 20. A formal trailer was released a week later on August 28. In the official teaser, we see a brief recreation of the murder, which took place in the den of their home when the brothers fired a combined total of 16 fatal shots at their parents.
The trailer is an equally tense sense of the family forcefully posing for a photo before a voiceover of Kitty confronting Jose about his relationship with his son plays. “I need to know what’s going on between you and the boys,” she says between camera flashes, adding “I don’t want there to be any more lies between us.” Interrupting their picture-perfect façade, Jose responds “I’m going to fix this family”. The brothers then remain in frame and look at one another knowingly. The trailer cuts to a dream-like scene of the pair shirtless, embracing and scattered with blood. Watch the snippet below:
When Will Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Be Released?
The season will be released exclusively on Netflix on September 19. It will be produced by Murphy and Ian Brennan, who were responsible for retelling the high-profile case of 70s serial killer Jeffery Dahmer featuring Evan Peters.
Where Are The Real-Life Lyle And Erik Menéndez Now?
After a deadlocked jury in their 1993 trial, the brothers were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole at a mistrial in 1996. In 2018, Lyle was moved to the prison where Erik serves his time, making it their first reunion since their conviction. The older brother reportedly “ended up bursting into tears”, with Lyle saying at the time it was “something I wasn’t sure was ever going to happen.”
