What happens when the picture-perfect family is just that: picture perfect? That’s what The teaser trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story asks as the titular brothers are all smiles in a portrait session with their parents — until the camera stops clicking, that is.
Netflix’s new true-crime anthology series, which launched with Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in 2022, continues with this still-stunning case of a pair of brothers who were convicted after killing their well-to-do parents on August 20, 1989.
And now, Netflix is offering a ton of key details about the series. Here’s what to know.
The series premieres on Netflix on Thursday, September 19 at 3 a.m. ET.
Yes! Embedded above is a teaser trailer for the new series, which shows a family in clear distress, as the mother questions what is “really going on” between her husband and “the boys.” It also reveals that the show will explore the claims of incest that were lodged by the Menedez brothers at their trial, when they accused their father of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse and said they killed him out of self-defense after they threatened to expose his crimes.
If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
The series dramatizes the infamous true-life murders of José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez by their sons, Lyle and Erik Menendez.
Who Are the Real Monsters?
The official logline for the show is: “While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed — and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole — that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?”
The Cast of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
The star-studded cast features in the lead Javier Bardem as José Menendez, Chloë Sevigny as Mary Louise “Kiitty” Menendez, Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez, Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, and Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson.
Supporting stars include Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth, Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel, Paul Adelstein as David Conn, Jason Butler Harner as Det. Les Zoeller, Enrique Murciano as Carlos Baralt, Michael Gladis as Tim Rutten, Drew Powell as Det. Tom Linehan, Charlie Hall as Craig Cignarelli, Gil Ozeri as Dr. William Vicary, Jeff Perry as Peter Hoffman, Tessa Auberjonois as Dr. Laurel Oziel, Tanner Stine as Perry Berman, Larry Clarke as Brian Andersen, Jade Pettyjohn as Jamie Pisarcik, Marlene Forte as Marta Cano, and Vicki Lawrence as Leigh.
The series is written by Ryan Murphy, David McMillan, Todd Kruban, Ian Brenna, and Reilly Smith. Directors include Brennan, Max Winkler, Paris Barclay, Michael Uppendahl, and Carl Franklin.
The Menendez Brothers Story: A Captivating Case of True Crime
The teaser for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story opens with a family portrait shoot and a smiling Kitty Menendez, played by Chloë Sevigny, asking her husband José (Javier Bardem) with a quiet aside, “I need to know what’s going on with you and the boys.”
Newcomers Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, who portray brothers Lyle and Erik respectively, stand silently and with their own smiles over their parents’ shoulders in the background. “It is over. Stop. I’m going to fix this family,” José replies before he and his wife get up and leave the photo session.
During their original 1993 trial for the murder of their parents, the Menendez brothers claimed they shot José and Kitty Menendez in self-defense after suffering years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father and with the knowledge of their mother. The trailer ends with the Menendez brothers in an embrace.
“It’s just us now,” one of the brothers tells the other.
The second season of the Monsters series has a synopsis that reads: “While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed — and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole — that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?”
The second season cast includes Nathan Lane, playing the role of investigative journalist Dominick Dunne, and Ari Graynor as criminal defense attorney Leslie Abramson. The Menendez case was a media sensation in the early 1990s, and Monsters is the latest to adapt the story for the screen.
Fox and CBS aired TV movies about the murders in 1994, Lifetime ran Menendez: Blood Brothers in 2017 and Law & Order: True Crime on NBC also focused on the case, with Edie Falco starring as Abramson. Peacock’s 2023 doc Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed featured Roy Rosselló, a former member of boy band Menudo, claiming José Menendez sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager.
A Case That Continues To Captivate
Netflix has dropped the first teaser for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” which will debut on Sept. 19.
“The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is the second installment of Ryan Murphy‘s true crime anthology series, “Monsters,” which debuted in 2022 with the chilling story of serial murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, starring Evan Peters.
Season 2 will follow the 1996 conviction of the Menendez brothers for the murders of their parents. Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch lead the series as Lyle and Erik Menendez, while Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny will play José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez.
The cast also includes Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson, Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth, Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel, Paul Adelstein as David Conn, Jason Butler Harner as detective Les Zoeller, Enrique Murciano as Carlos Baralt, Michael Gladis as Tim Rutten, Drew Powell as detective Tom Linehan, Charlie Hall as Craig Cignarelli, Gil Ozeri as Dr. William Vicary, Jeff Perry as Peter Hoffman, Tessa Auberjonois as Dr. Laurel Oziel, Tanner Stine as Perry Berman, Larry Clarke as Brian Andersen, Jade Pettyjohn as Jamie Pisarcik and Marlene Forte as Marta Cano.
In the real-life court case, Lyle and Erik Menendez were accused by the prosecution of murdering their parents to inherit the family estate. However, the brothers defended their actions, stating that they acted out of fear after enduring years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. After a mistrial, they were convicted of first-degree murder and given life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Murphy and Ian Brennan executive produce “Monsters” along with Bardem, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, David McMillan, Louise Shore and Carl Franklin. Episodic directors include Brennan, Franklin, Max Winkler, Paris Barclay and Michael Uppendahl, while writers include Murphy, Brennan, David McMillan, Todd Kubrak and Reilly Smith.
A Teaser Filled With Suspense
Netflix has dropped the first look of its upcoming series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” All episodes of the drama will premiere on the streamer globally Sept. 19.
The teaser starts with a family photo of José (Javier Bardem), Kitty (Chloë Sevigny), Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch) Menendez. After the seemingly perfect portrait is taken, all of their faces fall.
“I need to know what’s going on with you and the boys,” Kitty says in a voiceover as the camera continues to click.
“What do you mean?” her husband José responds.
“I need to know. I don’t want there to be anymore lies between us,” Kitty insists. “I won’t tell anyone.”
“It is over. Stop. I’m going to fix this family,” José says. At that point, José and Kitty walk out of frame. As Lyle and Erik watch them leave, their faces darken. The scene then changes, showing a shirtless Lyle and Erik bathed in blue light. As they hug each other, one of them says “It’s just us now. We’re on our own.” Watch the full teaser below.
On the evening of Aug. 20, 1989, authorities received a call from Lyle Menendez, stating that his parents — José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez — had been murdered in their family home. Thus began one of the most captivating true crime cases of the ’90s. Later it was revealed that Lyle and Erik were the ones responsible for their parents’ murders. As their critics claimed the brothers committed these horrific crimes to inherit their parents’ substantial fortune, a second narrative began to emerge from the defense, arguing that the brothers endured a lifetime of sexual abuse from their father and that they acted in self defense.
The Netflix original takes a sharp look at the case that helped spark our modern-day fascination with true crime and asks audiences “Who are the real monsters?” a press release for the series reads.
The Real Monsters?
“The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” stars Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) and Chloë Sevigny (“FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans”) as José and Kitty Menendez, respectfully. Additionally, Nicholas Alexander Chavez (“General Hospital”) will play Lyle Menendez and Cooper Koch (“Power Book II: Ghost”) will play Erik Menendez. Nathan Lane (“The Producers”) will play Vanity Fair reporter Dominick Dunne, and Ari Graynor (“The Disaster Artist”) will play defense attorney Leslie Abramson. Other stars of the upcoming drama include Dallas Roberts, Leslie Grossman, Paul Adelstein, Jason Butler, Enrique Murciano, Michael Gladis, Drew Powell, Charlie Hall, Gil Ozeri, Jeff Perry, Tessa Auberjonois, Tanner Stine, Larry Clarke, Jade Pettyjohn and Marlene Forte.
Murphy and Brennan serve as the creators and executive producers of “Monsters.” Brennan also writes and directs this season. Other directors include Max Winkler, Paris Barclay, Michael Uppendahl and Carl Franklin with Murphy, David McMillan, Todd Kubrak and Reilly Smith writing this season. In addition to Murphy and Brennan, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, David McMillan, Louise Shore, Carl Franklin and Javier Bardem serve as executive producers.
“Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” first premiered in 2022 and quickly became a major hit for Netflix. The first season is currently the No. 3 most watched English-language series on Netflix, scoring over 115.6 million views in its first 91 days. For his role in the series, Evan Peters won the Golden Globe for Best Actor – Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture, and Niecy Nash won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” premieres Thursday, Sept. 19, on Netflix.
