Chloë Sevigny and Javier Bardem are the opposite of a happy family.
The duo play ill-fated couple Mary Louise “Kitty” and José Menendez, both of whom were brutally murdered by their sons Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch). Their sons were convicted in 1996 after claiming they killed their parents because of abuse. The infamous case is fictionalized in the latest episode of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series on Netflix, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, based on the Emmy-winning Dahmer.
The official synopsis reads: “While prosecutors argued they were trying to inherit the family fortune, the brothers maintained – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions were motivated by fear of a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story delves into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern fascination with true crime, and in turn asks audiences the question: Who are the real monsters?”
The Menendez family case was previously portrayed in 2017 in “The Menendez Murders,” a “Law & Order True Crime” series by Dick Wolf.
Sevigny, a longtime collaborator of Murphy, returns to the mega-producer’s orbit after “Feud.” Bardem, meanwhile, makes his Murphy debut in the series. Nathan Lane also plays Dominick Dunne and Ari Graynor stars as Leslie Abramson.
The ensemble also includes Leslie Grossman, Dallas Roberts, Paul Adelstein, Jason Butler Harner, Enrique Murciano, Michael Gladis, Drew Powell, Charlie Hall, Gil Ozeri, Jeff Perry, Tessa Auberjonois, Tanner Stine, Larry Clarke, Marlene Forte and “Little Fires Everywhere” newcomer Jade Pettyjohn.
Murphy and Ian Brennan are co-creators and executive producers of “Monsters,” along with actors Bardem, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, David McMillan, Louise Shore and Carl Franklin.
The film is directed by Brennan, Franklin, Max Winkler, Paris Barclay and Michael Uppendahl. The film’s writers include Murphy, Brennan, David McMillan, Todd Kubrak and Reilly Smith.
Although Murphy is leaving his Netflix contract in 2023 and entering into a partnership with Disney Corporation, which also owns Hulu and 20th Century Fox TV, Monsters is still on the streaming platform. The Emmy-winning series Dahmer was in Netflix’s top 10 most popular English-language TV originals and was renewed for a second season in 2022.
Murphy’s empire is now expanding into the sports sector: “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” with Josh Rivera as a New England Patriots tight end who was convicted of murder. Patrick Schwarzenegger plays Tim Tebow, Tammy Blanchard can be seen as Terri Hernandez and Lindsay Mendez as Tanya Singleton in the Hulu series.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story premieres on Netflix on September 19. Watch the trailer below.
