Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Updated: 5/24/2026, 7:02:23 PM Wikipedia source
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of the American biographical crime drama anthology television series Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. The season centers on the 1989 parricides of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), who were killed by their sons, Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch). The plot utilizes the Rashomon effect, depicting events through unreliable narrators and allowing viewers to form their own interpretations of the story. It is the second installment in the Monster anthology series, following Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Having initially ordered the program in 2020 as a limited series, Netflix announced in 2022 that it had been renewed as an anthology series, with two further editions based on the lives of "other monstrous figures". The second season, which focuses on the Menendez brothers, was announced to be in development on May 1, 2023. Upon its premiere on September 19, 2024, the season received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances (particularly those of Koch and Bardem) and the one-shot episode "The Hurt Man", but criticized its inconsistent tone, runtime, sexual content, and homoerotic themes. It was denounced by the real Erik Menendez for its factual inaccuracies and Lyle Menendez's portrayal, although Lyle later expressed gratitude for its depiction of child abuse. It further garnered controversy for implying an incestuous relationship between the brothers. Despite the controversies, the season achieved global commercial success, debuting as the number-one series on Netflix worldwide, the most-viewed streaming content on the Nielsen Streaming Chart, and the third most-watched Netflix series in the second half of 2024. At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, it earned 11 nominations, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Koch, and won for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. It also received three nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards: Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for Koch, and Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Bardem. A third season, titled Monster: The Ed Gein Story, was released on October 3, 2025, starring Charlie Hunnam as murderer and graverobber Ed Gein.
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Tables
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
| 11 | 1 | "Blame It on the Rain" | Carl Franklin | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez are taken into custody by the FBI temporarily following the murder of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion, which they initially blame on the mob. Haunted by nightmares of his parents dying, Erik visits Dr. Jerome Oziel and confesses that he and his brother were the ones who killed h | ||||||
| 12 | 2 | "Spree" | Carl Franklin | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| After killing their parents, Lyle and Erik spend part of the night outside in order to create an alibi. Upon returning, the brothers call the police to report the murder, but the police suspect something is amiss. Some time later, the brothers begin to spend a lot of money on luxury products, although they think that their father disinherited them | ||||||
| 13 | 3 | "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" | Paris Barclay | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| After Judalon reveals to the police about Dr. Oziel's Menendez case tapes, the police go to Oziel's house to confiscate them, where they hear the brothers' confession. Lyle and Erik are then arrested by the police and sent to jail to await trial. The brothers have a hard time adjusting to their new life in jail, although Erik befriends an inmate. T | ||||||
| 14 | 4 | "Kill or Be Killed" | Paris Barclay | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| Leslie visits Lyle to get his side of the story, though he refuses to portray his father as a monster, saying that he wanted the best for him despite being so very harsh on him. As Lyle talks, he mentions that he was losing his hair due to the pressure his father had on him to be the best, and that their father saved the brothers from being arreste | ||||||
| 15 | 5 | "The Hurt Man" | Michael Uppendahl | Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| During Leslie's visit to Erik, Erik tells her how his parents suddenly locked him up and how his father abused him. In his opinion, his father only loved Lyle. When José began to abuse him, he felt that it was the only time in which his father really loved him, although, like his brother Lyle, the abuse began from massages to rape, which according | ||||||
| 16 | 6 | "Don't Dream It's Over" | Max Winkler | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| When Fidel Castro seizes power in Cuba, a 16-year-old José is forced to migrate to the United States and leave his privileged life behind. In 1962, he meets Kitty and the two passionately fall in love with each other, defying the disapproval of their families by getting married. José eventually becomes successful, but their idyllic home life decays | ||||||
| 17 | 7 | "Showtime" | Michael Uppendahl | David McMillan & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| Erik and Lyle prepare for the trial. During the prison visits, Lyle unsuccessfully attempts to convince relatives, friends, and his girlfriend to give false witness about José's abuse, if not gaslighting them. Even Jill has trouble believing their story, but Leslie trains Lyle to deliver an emotional testimony. In July 1993, arriving at the trial, | ||||||
| 18 | 8 | "Seismic Shifts" | Ian Brennan | Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| Just as a wave of earthquakes hits California, Judalon testifies about Dr. Oziel's abuse, favoring the jury's view of the brothers even more. However, when Erik testifies, his problems with the microphone, misacted demeanor, and misremembering where they bought the shotguns—which is interpreted as him lying—damage their credibility. Ultimately, the | ||||||
| 19 | 9 | "Hang Men" | Michael Uppendahl | David McMillan & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak & Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | |
| In 1995, O. J. Simpson is declared not guilty, causing public outcry and adding to the tensions that have risen among Erik, Lyle, and Leslie, with the brothers now resorting to blame each other. The new trial has Mr. Conn as the prosecutor, who despite Leslie's constant objections successfully makes a case of the brothers being guilty based on nume | ||||||
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| GQ Men of the Year Awards | December 4, 2024 | International Actor of the Year | Cooper Koch | Won | |
| The Daily Californian's Arts Awards | December 23, 2024 | Best Actor in a Drama — Television | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | January 5, 2025 | Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film | Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Nominated | |
| Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Cooper Koch | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Javier Bardem | Nominated | |||
| Set Decorators Society of America Awards | February 7, 2025 | Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Television Movie or Limited Series | Melissa Licht, Matthew Flood Ferguson | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Awards | February 22, 2025 | Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | Carl Franklin | Nominated | |
| Paris Barclay | Nominated | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 24, 2025 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Javier Bardem | Nominated | |
| Actors and Actresses Union Awards | March 10, 2025 | Best Actor in an International Production | Won | ||
| Queerty Awards | March 11, 2025 | Best TV Performance | Cooper Koch | Nominated | |
| Premios Aura | April 6, 2025 | Hispanic presence in international series | Javier Bardem | Won | |
| Astra TV Awards | June 10, 2025 | Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Nominated | ||
| Dorian Awards | July 8, 2025 | Best TV Performance – Drama | Cooper Koch | Nominated | |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | September 6, 2025 | Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Tiffany Little Canfield, John Eihnson, Bernard Tesley | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Thomas Newman, Julia Newman (for "Spree") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Period Costumes | Stephanie Bradley, Michelle Sandvig, Shannon Campbell (for "Blame It on The Rain") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Hairstyling | Karen Bartek, Brittany Madrigal, Elissa Ruminer, Analyn Cruz, Kaity Licina (for "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Miho Suzuki, Sabrina Wilson, Michael Anthony Ornelaz, Ana Lozano (for "Hang Men") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Peggy Tachdjian (for Blame It on The Rain") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Jamie Hardt, Laura Wiest, John Bauman, Mehrnaz Mohabati (for Blame It on The Rain") | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | September 14, 2025 | Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series | Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Cooper Koch | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Chloë Sevigny (for "Don't Dream It's Over") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Javier Bardem (for "Don't Dream It's Over") | Nominated | |||
| Online Film & Television Association TV Awards | September 26, 2025 | Best Limited or Anthology Series | Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Nominated | |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Cooper Koch | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Javier Bardem | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Chloë Sevigny | Nominated | |||
| Best Casting & Ensemble in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Nominated | |||
| Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Anthology Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Music Composition in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Picture Editing in a Motion Picture, Limited or Anthology Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Makeup — Period and/or Character | Nominated |
References
- The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words! by Norma Novelli, 1995.
- Town & Countryhttps://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/g62243670/monsters-lyle-erik-menendez-story-actors-real-life-people-photos/
- Monstershttps://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monsters-lyle-erik-menendez-story-perspectives
- TheWraphttps://www.thewrap.com/monsters-javier-bardem-ryan-murphy-dahmer-lyle-erik-menendez/
- Harper's Bazaarhttps://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/film-tv/a60244904/chloe-sevigny-feud-monster-interview-2024/
- GQ Australiahttps://www.gq.com.au/men-of-the-year/men-of-the-year-2024-cooper-koch/image-gallery/655fff7ed4c1dc9e8e63ebba39baa827
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2024/09/kim-kardashian-menendez-brothers-visit-prison-monsters-netflix-1236096474/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/tv/news/monsters-stars-respond-erik-menendez-criticism-netflix-1236154970/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/scene/columns/monsters-cooper-koch-erik-and-lyle-menendez-resentencing-1236404639/
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://ew.com/monsters-nicholas-alexander-chavez-had-not-heard-of-menendez-brothers-until-audition-8716202
- Vanity Fairhttps://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/nicholas-alexander-chavez-and-cooper-koch-dont-think-the-menendez-brothers-are-monsters
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/tv/columns/monsters-ari-graynor-leslie-abramson-meet-menendez-brothers-1236166765/
- Vanity Fairhttps://archive.vanityfair.com/article/1990/10/nightmare-on-elm-drive
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/monsters-nathan-lane-dominick-dunne-interview-1236014410/
- Deciderhttps://decider.com/2024/09/30/monsters-the-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-episode-9-series-finale-recap/
- Netflix Tudumhttps://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monsters-the-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-ending
- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Storyhttps://deadline.com/2020/10/monster-the-jeffrey-dahmer-story-limited-series-ryan-murphy-netflix-ian-brennan-richard-jenkins-carl-franklin-janet-mock-1234590117/
- Monsterhttps://deadline.com/2022/11/netflix-expands-ryan-murphy-monster-franchise-renews-the-watcher-season-2-1235165592/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2023/tv/news/monster-season-2-menendez-brothers-1235599246/
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tiktok-instagram-inspired-monsters-the-erik-and-lyle-menendez-story-1236007308/