The Most Divisive Story On Netflix Is Now Top Choice On Streamer 

Aptly titled The Menendez Brothers, the documentary pulls apart Ryan Murphy’s Monsters and puts a much more first-hand-account view onto Netflix’s platform. In the Alejandro Hartmann-helmed production, both Lyle and Erik Menendez talk from behind bars where they’re currently being detained at San Diego’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.

Giving viewers as much perspective as possible, the doc also showcases interviews with the brothers’ cousin Diane Vander Molen and Pamela Bozanich, the leading prosecutor in their case who still believes justice was served.

Like Monsters, the Menendez brothers documentary on Netflix also walks viewers through the night in 1989 when Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered their parents with shotguns. It goes on to chronicle the days, months, and years that followed, with the siblings giving an interesting perspective to each piece – particularly on the night of the killings and how the Beverly Hills Police Department failed to make what should have been two very easy arrests.

We also get more of the background about the alleged sexual abuse that Erik and Lyle suffered at the hands of their father, Jose Menendez, and a broader picture of the overall vibe in the courtroom during the infamous trial.

From the moment it arrived, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was met with pushback from Netflix viewers. Some thought that Ryan Murphy took it too easy on the convicted killers, while others felt that his episodic take included far too much drama and strayed from the facts. Whether audiences loved it or hated it, the viewership numbers continued to add up with every click of the remote, quickly making the show one of the streamer’s top-watched series.

The show perhaps caught the most flak from the family of Erik and Lyle Menendez who have since rallied around the brothers and called for their release. The pair have been behind bars for over three decades, with their loved ones since corroborating their claims of abuse. After hearing about Monsters from his wife and family members, Erik Menendez wrote an open letter to Ryan Murphy slamming the story that he told in his Netflix series. 

Still, the fact remains that even more than 30 years since Erik and Lyle Menendez murdered their parents, Kitty and Jose, in their Beverly Hills mansion, the general public continues to be obsessed with the case. While folks may still stand divided on where they fall when it comes to the brothers’ defense, one thing’s for sure: between The Menendez Brothers documentary and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the real winner here is Netflix.

You can check out both Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and The Menendez Brothers now streaming on Netflix.