Why Ryan Murphy’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Is Getting Backlash
Ryan Murphy’s shows have always been in the limelight for the wrong and the right reasons and his latest project is no different. Created for Netflix, Murphy helmed Season 2 of the Monster anthology by focusing on Lyle and Erik Menendez. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is based on the Menendez brothers who killed their parents and shook all of USA in the early 90s.
In 2020, the case once again came into the limelight as true crime TikTokers put up tapes of the court trials online and had netizens discussing whether the Menendez brothers were cold-blooded murderers or victims. The hype returned in September 2024 as Netflix dropped the first trailer to Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story starring Javier Bardem, Chloe Sevigny, Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch.
As expected of a Murphy production, Monsters Season 2 was technically well executed with some shocking and heartwrenching performances, primarily from Cooper Koch who portrays the younger brother, Erik Menendez. However, the Netflix show has received much backlash for certain plot points and also the subsequent statements from Ryan Murphy regarding the mixed response.
The Menendez Brothers’ Story
The whole controversy is based on the fact that no one truly knows the truth of what happened that fateful night at the Menendez household. Lyle and Erik shot their parents, Jose and Kitty, and lived a lavish lifestyle for the next couple of months as the cops believed the mob had killed them. Finally, when the brothers were arrested, they claimed that their parents had physically and sexually abused them. They claimed imperfect self-defence as they believed their parents were planning on killing them.
While the brothers are currently serving life sentences, they have constantly filed appeals with their 2023 filing finally being reviewed positively due to new evidence.
Given that the case is still ongoing, netizens are upset with Ryan Murphy’s treatment of it. Erik Menendez himself has declared that the Netflix show has done more harm than good with how it has taken creative license to portray certain aspects of their life which are false and how it may affect their case.
In particular, most viewers are upset with the show’s treatment of Erik’s sexuality, Lyle’s psychopathic behaviour, Jose’s humanization and two incest scenes between the brothers that don’t amount to anything plot-wise except to create a stir and for shock value.
Ryan Murphy’s Reaction
On top of that, Ryan Murphy’s response to the hate has irked netizens. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy shared:
“The Menendez brothers should be sending me flowers. They haven’t had so much attention in 30 years…I know for a fact that many people have offered to help them because of the interest of my show and what we did…We had an obligation to so many people, not just to Erik and Lyle. But that’s what I find so fascinating; that they’re playing the victim card right now — “poor, pitiful us” — which I find reprehensible and disgusting.”
In the same breath, Murphy shares that he believes the brothers may have killed their parents because they were abused. He also added that he wanted to start a discussion on male sexual abuse which is why fans are further surprised by his flippant response and how he is not interested in the Menendez brothers anymore.
Art for Art’s Sake?
It is worth pointing out that we are not playing judge, jury and executioner on whether the Menendez brothers are lying or telling the truth about their parents. Instead, the focus should be on the responsibility a filmmaker should take when creating a fictionalized retelling of a case where the participants are still alive and the case is still ongoing.
No matter how many disclaimers are given to a fictional TV show on how one should not take it as the truth, true crime docudramas always alter the perception of viewers, especially for casual viewers who do not have all the facts about the case.
In fact, fans are hyping up the second Netflix project on the Menendez brothers, The Menendez Brothers documentary which released less than a month later, and claim that it is a better version that doesn’t exaggerate certain aspects or omit the truth.
What do you think about the Menendez brothers’ case? Should Ryan Murphy get the creative freedom to portray their story in a fictional show the way he wants? Let us know in the comments below.