Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story | Mini-Series Review

The mini-series Monsters season 2 has created a big buzz in the world as it re-opened the public view on the case of the Menendez Brothers who murdered their parents and got a sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. People in the world are divided in wether this was a harsh sentence or if the brothers deserved it. Share your point of view in the comment section bellow. 

REVIEW OF THE MINI SERIES ON THIS PAGE

You can click on the buttons bellow to read a review of every episode starting with episode 1. You can also rate the episodes on the pages and leave your opinion in the comment sections. Read the respons of the REAL Lyle and Erik Menendez on this page. Scroll down to read the full review of the Netflix mini-series 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'.

I AM THE JUROR ON THE CASE OF THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS!

‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story’ puts you in the seats of one of the jurors in the trial case of the Menendez brothers. It takes you through different perspectives of why Lyle and Erik Menendez murder their parents José Menendez and Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menendez.

This mini-series takes you back in time when the murder of José and Kitty occurred in 1989. You as a viewer get presented all the different perspectives to why the Menendez brothers murdered their parents. We also get into a train of that decade were the Menendez brothers went from trending news to tiring news. The creators of the series are really bold for making the interest span of the last two episode as uninterested the public must have experienced it during that time.

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are the creators of this new Monsters season. Every episode showed a perspective and the circumstances around it. In the table below you can see every episode and the perspective you will receive while watching it. 

They did a great job with every episode. Every episode shows the actions of the boys and what might have influenced the outcome of the trail. Before you know it, you realize ‘I am the juror in the trial case of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story’. They did not sugarcoat any public information know about this case. Dominick Dunne suggested that the boys had some incest going on, that angle was also presented into the story. Along side the abuse the boys experienced, that was an angle that overkilled the unease watching the story. 

In episode 1 you see the boys planning and murdering their parents because of humiliation. In episode 2 you see them enjoying the money of their father with no remorse for killing them. The angle where people assume the Menendez brothers committed incest is also shown in a few seconds. In episode 3 you can see how the boys got caught and what the motive for killing their parents was. In episode 4 you can see the point of view Lyle has to the events surrounding his decision to kill his parents. Episode 5 was the most impactful were the writes dedicated a full episode to the abuse of Erik.

In episode 6 they showed a family with flaws and secrets. They showed generational abuse and did not sugarcoat the character of José Menendez. Kitty Menendez is shamelessly shown hatting the fact she birthed her sons. It was a long episode, but necessary to make the story complete. I feel the creators made this specially for the victims. 

Episode 7 was refreshing showing the perspective of the investigative journalist of Vanity Fair, Dominick Dunne. It also showed the emotion of Lyle and opinion the public had because of his actions from jail. Dunne suggesting the boys had some incestuous relationship, going on and that was also presented. In episode 8 you can feel what the public and everyone surrounding this case might have felt after the Hung Jury and the new trending case of O.J. Simpson. Episode 9 was the end of the series shedding light on the prosecutors’ arguments during trial, and that the Menendez brothers could not use self-defense as their argument. We also get to see and hear how the murder might have happened because of the testimony of Graig Cignarelli, a friend of Erik who claims Erik confessed to him about his crimes.

REVIEW THE ACTORS

The stars of this show are the actors Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez. The portrayal of the characters, the delivery of their performance it was all outstanding. These two boys had chemistry from the start. If I would watch a real-life documentary, I would have said that these two are real brothers and might have the same trauma bounding. The boys were outstanding to portray the emotions of the young boys. They portrayed the child abuse the REAL Menendez brothers might have experienced, including the different perspectives of how people looked at their character very well. 

The best acting performance of Koch is seen in episode 5: ‘The Hurt man’. He has this almost 30-minute monologue about Erik Menendez his life and the abuse he might have experienced, including the internal struggle he experienced as a young boy growing up, questioning which part of his identity is formed by his abuse and trauma, and which part is authentic to him. The accusation of people calling the REAL Menendez brothers psycho because of how they carry themselves. Koch showed it in his body language and in his facial expression. Watching this episode of Koch you can see him mastering the facial expressions of the REAL Erik. They even made a jokingly reference about this in one of the episodes the Menendez brothers are seen talking to Robert Shapiro.

The acting of Chavez and his brilliance is seen in the different ways he portrayed the character of Lyle Menendez. In REAL life people don’t have a trustworthy perspective of Lyle. You can see Chavez change his performance of Lyle according to the people present in the room. When no one is around he is scared and submissive to his father, knowing very well his father is prepping him to fill big shoes. In the presence of other people with his father, he is this spoiled young boy who will be the next powerful business tycoon. The moments he tells the story of his abuse and what he did to Erik. You can see he projects the pain, disappointment and shame Lyle must have felt.

Javier Bardem portrayed the Cuban father José Menendez. Just like Chavez he also portrayed the different perspective of the loving husband, self-made business tycoon, family man, competitive father, abused son, abuser to his sons and a healing man. He nailed the portrayal of how people see José. His paring with Chloë Sevigny as Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menendez, the mother of the Menendez brothers was great. They had a good chemistry together. Sevigny portrayed her characters good as a woman who has two sons, she cannot connect with.  Knowing that Kitty Menendez wanted to commit suicide, Sevigny had this underlying desire shown of giving up any time. She is living in a boy’s world, and you could see the hatred, disappointment and abuse in her performance. She had a good portrayal of a Beverly Hills mother around that time. 

Ari Graynor nailed it as the attorney of Erik. The way she speaks, the volume and her body language it was nearly perfect as the REAL Leslie Abramson. From her physical appearance to the power in her voice. Nathan Lane was perfect as the journalist Dominick Dunne. He is used as a real-time storyteller of the public opinion and political situations surrounding the trial of the Menendez brothers. His voice and dialogue delivery were perfect. Leslie Grossman portrayed Judalon Smyth her character and her performance on the stand was nearly as the REAL Judalon. The moment she responded to not wanting children that look like Dr. Oziel. You can watch the REAL clip on YouTube, and it was almost the same. Dallas Roberts portrayed Dr. Oziel with almost the same facial expressions and dialogue delivery.

Underneath you will find the main cast of the mini-series on Netflix season 2 Monsters: the Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. 

CAST OF THE MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY

REAL MENENDEZ BROTHERS REACTION ON THE MONSTERS MINI-SERIES

After the release of the mini-series the Menendez brothers have released a statement on their Facebook page, commenting that they are not happy with the portrayal of their character and the events shown in the mini-series. The brothers got a lot of sympathisers who share the same opinion and do not stand behind the execution of the mini-series, based on the real life story of the Menendez brothers.