Monsters Is #1 On Netflix And Shows No Signs Of Stopping
It’s only been one day since Ryan Murphy’s latest dramatized deep dive into a headline-making true crime story arrived and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is already dominating Netflix. Currently, the latest installment in the anthology series sits at the number one position on the streamer, foreshadowing good things to come for the follow-up season.
Investigating the crimes committed by the brothers, the scripted production peels back the alleged moments leading up to the murders, the courtroom fiasco to come, and the brothers’ sentencing for the slaughtering of their parents.
The Monster Anthology Series Has Been A Huge Hit For Netflix
The immediate popularity of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention. This is the second season in what will – at this time – be a three-season anthology series which was kicked off by the Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Niecy Nash-Betts (Reno 911!) led debut season, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Not only did the premiere installment, which arrived in 2022, break viewership records for the streamer but it also led to Peters nabbing a Golden Globe Award and Nash-Betts earning an Emmy Award.
Record Breaking Potential
With this in mind, the cast behind Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story are undoubtedly thrilled to have immediately rocketed to the coveted top position on Netflix’s chart. While it’s certainly still early days, the show has the potential to break the records achieved by Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and may even land one or more of its actors an award nomination or two.
The Menendez Brothers
Featuring up-and-comers Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik Menendez, respectively, Monsters brings an entirely new true crime story to Netflix. The series chronicles the lives of the brothers who, in 1989, brutally murdered their parents with shotguns in the den of their Beverly Hills mansion. During the trial, the Menendez brothers’ legal team used allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of their father as part of the defense but both Erik and Lyle would end up behind bars – where they still are today.
Javier Bardem As The Father
While the leading men of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story may not immediately ring a bell with viewers, the two iconic actors playing their parents certainly will. In the role of the siblings’ harsh and abusive father, José, is Dune: Part Two, No Country for Old Men, and The Little Mermaid star and Academy Award-winner, Javier Bardem. As the boys’ mother, Kitty, is Party Monster, Zodiac, and American Psycho star and all-around icon, Chloë Sevigny.
Not As Highly Rated As Dahmer
On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics have yet to share their score, but audiences have spoken, hitting the second season of Ryan Murphy’s dramatic anthology series with a 61 percent approval rating. Comparing this to the audience rating of the installment that came before it is pretty brutal, with the Evan Peters-led set of episodes hitting the audience mark with 85 percent.
Still, there’s plenty of time for Monsters to catch up to Monster, especially with the weekend ahead and Netflix subscribers ready for a good old-fashioned binge.
Third Season Nabs Charlie Hunnam As Ed Gein
Beyond the success of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Netflix and Ryan Murphy already have their irons in the fire for the third season, which is set to round out the anthology series. In it, Sons of Anarchy star, Charlie Hunnam, will star as American serial killer Ed Gein. As of right now, no further details surrounding the third and final season are available.
