The article contains discussions about sexual abuse.
Monsterseason 2 gets a mixed response, even compared toMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Consisting of nine episodes, and once more from creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the follow-up toDahmerfocuses on Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who murdered their parents in 1989. Although prosecutors put forth different motivations for the crime, including a possible inheritance, the siblings say that they were physically and sexually abused by their father while their mother encouraged this behavior.TheMonstersseason 2 castincludes Cooper Koch, Nicholas Chavez, Javier Bardem, and Chloë Sevigny
Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Storyhas debuted with a mixed response onRotten Tomatoes. The second installment of the Netflix true crime dramacurrently holds a 63% critics score based on 8 reviews, but the more detailed average reveals a less than stellar 5.70/10 rating. In terms of the audience score,Monsterscomes in at 54% based on more than 100 ratings. Both scores are subject to change as more assessments are added.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, meanwhile, hassettled at a 57% critics score based on 30 reviews. The more detailed score comes down to 6.30/10.The audience score forDahmerhas settled at 82% based on more than 1000 ratings. Though this reveals a divide betweenDahmerandMonsters, the first installment is largely finished with adding new reviews while the new season is just beginning.
What Do The Reviews Mean For Monsters: Lyle & Erik Menendez?
It’s An Inconclusive Slog.
The reviews forMonstersgenerally agree that the limited series wants to have it both ways. Whileclaiming to want to approach the subject with sensitivity and understanding, reviews found that the Netflix drama ultimately ends up being explorative. Daniel Feinberg ofThe Hollywood Reporterfound that the nine-part saga only occasionally succeeded in crafting a careful and considered narrative, saying: “I don’t think Monsters is as overtly trashy as Monster. But it’s unjustifiably long at nine hours.”
Monster Season 2: Where The Real Lyle & Erik Menendez Are Today
Ryan Murphy’s Monster season 2 will follow Lyle and Erik Menendez, two young men who killed their parents. This is where the pair is in 2024.
The complaint about the runtime also comes in Aramide Tinubu’s review forVariety: “The rest of the episodes are a repetitive slog.” Bothreviews do contain praise for the season’s fifth episodein particular, which is a standout. In this way, the true crime series is consistent in that there are individual bright spots and high points related to theMonsterscast. Nonetheless, that may not negate the real-life criticisms that the series has received.
Our Take On The Reaction To Monsters
It Is Not A Helpful Way Of Understanding What Really Happened.
Theanthology has alreadybeen criticized by Erik Menendezfor what he called “naive and inaccurate” portrayal. Lyle’s full comments are included below, going on to call out Netflix and Murphy by name for his part in what he described as a dishonest portrayal. But some of those who have sampled the series have criticized it even more and echoed some of Lyle’s complaints:
I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant likes rampant in the show. I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent. It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women.
The unfavorable audience response toMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyparticularlycalls out the way the anthology trivializes the abuse that the brothers say they suffereddue to their father, even making incestuous insinuations about the relationship between Erik and Lyle.
Monsterseason 3is already confirmed, focusing on serial killer Ed Gein who will be played by Charlie Hunnam.
The excesses and creative liberties are because the Netflix series is an entertainment product first and foremost. Though its creators may profess lofty goals, the objective is to keep viewers clicking through long enough to reach theMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyending. The divisive response to the new season, particularly after the controversy thatDahmergarnered, is well-earned.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Cast
This true crime drama delves into the infamous case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents. The series examines the complex family dynamics and legal battles that captivated the nation, highlighting the motivations and repercussions of their actions.
