Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has been a huge hit on Netflix ever since it launched on the platform last month. It stars Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as the brothers who killed their parents in Beverly Hills, California back in 1989. The nine-episode new series was created by Ryan Murphy, and he’s recently responded to criticism from the two killers for his depiction of them in the series. Murphy has a history of adapting true life crime stories, and using a large amount of creative license. However, his creative decisions in Monsters season 2 could actually help the Menendez brothers, rather than hinder them.

Erik and Lyle Menendez are seeking a new trial with their case currently under review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Netflix will air a documentary titled The Menendez Brothers on October 7, 2024, and it could shed more light on the mitigating circumstances in their case. This documentary, along with the drama series, could help with the public’s perception of the case, and potentially set them free. Monsters season 2 is at No. 1 on Netflix’s global TV charts for a second week running, earning 19.5 million views, and it was a top 10 show for Netflix in 89 countries. The show also has 31.8 million views since its release, so no publicity is bad publicity.

What Did Ryan Murphy Say In Response To The Backlash From The Menendez Brothers?

Erik Menendez’s wife, Tammi released a statement on X on behalf of her husband, which hit back at Ryan Murphy’s portrayal of Erik and Lyle Menendez in the Netflix series:

I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show. I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.

Ryan Murphy hit back at the claims by the Menendez family in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

The Menendez brothers should be sending me flowers. They haven’t had so much attention in 30 years. And it’s gotten the attention of not only this country, but all over the world. There’s sort of an outpouring of interest in their lives and in the case. I know for a fact that many people have offered to help them because of the interest of my show and what we did.

Murphy makes a very good point. This case has received renewed interest because of the drama series, so regardless of whether every detail is factual, it certainly hasn’t hindered them. In particular, episode 5 really leans into their calls for a retrial, with the depiction of the alleged sexual abuse. It’s unclear if Lyle and Erik Menendez have actually watched the show in its entirety because it certainly hasn’t decreased their chances of a retrial. Murphy continued to hit back at the Menendez statement in the interview with THR:

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.

The Menendez Brothers Have A Great Chance Of Being Released From Prison After The Renewed Interest In Their Case

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story

Starring
Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Javier Bardem, Chloe Sevigny and Ari Graynor

Written by
Ryan Murphy

Created by
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan

Episode Titles

Blame It On The Rain
Spree
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
Kill Or Be Killed
The Hurt Man
Don’t Dream It’s Over
Showtime
Seismic Shifts
Hang Men

A habeas corpus petition was filed in 2023 to get the Menendez brothers’ sentences reduced and there is also new evidence, and some of it was raised in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Many believe the second trial wasn’t fair, and this was mentioned in the show. Los Angeles was in a very peculiar state back in the 90s, when the Menendez were convicted, with the riots followed by the O. J Simpson trial of the century. However, none of this is to suggest that Lyle and Erik were justified in killing their parents if they were, as they claim, sexually abused. Ryan Murphy was interested in exploring the sexual abuse angle and had this to say when asked about it later in the interview with THR:

I was never interested in the Menendez brothers. What I was interested in was the sexual abuse angle. That was always the thing that I was obsessed with. The fact that it’s obviously resonated with people, and people think that those facts should have been admissible in that second trial, is fascinating to me.

The Menendez brothers have been given a platform on Murphy’s Netflix true-crime series, and they should be grateful. They’ve had the chance to be tried in the court of public opinion, before their case goes back to the real courts, and Murphy thinks it could possibly set them free:

I think they can be out of prison by Christmas. I really believe that. The thing that’s kind of painful is that the family was so outrageously against the show and spoke out so vociferously against it. But then the thing that they thought would hurt them is actually helping them.

The Menendez Brothers Documentary Key Facts

Available to stream on Netflix on October 7, 2024
It features new interviews with Lyle and Erik Menendez, as well as their cousin Diane Vander Molen and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.