‘Monsters’ Stars on Exploring Menendez Brothers Killings: “You Start to Understand What Led to That”

‘Monsters’ Stars on Exploring Menendez Brothers Killings: “You Start to Understand What Led to That”

As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for true crime narratives and an eye for cinematic excellence, I eagerly await the arrival of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” on Netflix. Having delved into countless games based on real-life events, I’ve come to appreciate the intricacies of storytelling that weave together multiple perspectives. This series, with its promise of a comprehensive narrative, piques my interest.


On Monday evening, the team behind Netflix’s newest Monsters series, titled “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”, convened in Hollywood for the series’ Los Angeles debut screening.

The series titled “The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, and it delves into the well-known case of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who were found guilty in 1996 for the murders of their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. This story marks the second installment in the Monsters series after the acclaimed show “Dahmer“, starring Evan Peters. A third part, focusing on serial killer Ed Gein, is set to be released with Charlie Hunnam portraying the role.

Earlier this month, the initial trailer debuted, emphasizing an image of a seemingly flawless family, but subtly revealing fissures and suggesting the allegations by Lyle and Erik about being sexually abused over many years by their father José.

Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who portrays Lyle Menendez in this series, shared with The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet that one fascinating aspect of the show is its multi-faceted approach to narrating the story of the Menendez Brothers. This method provides a comprehensive viewpoint, enabling us to grasp various perspectives. As a result, each viewer can form their own opinion by the end,” he stated, expressing his appreciation for this unique approach.

Cooper Koch, who portrays Chavez’s brother Erik Menendez, discovered that taking on this role provided him with a fresh appreciation for his family and parents, as well as the nurturing way they brought him up. This understanding significantly assisted him in empathizing with Erik and recognizing that something like that was not part of his brother’s life experience.

Multiple actors, including Nathan Lane (depicting late Vanity Fair reporter Dominick Dunne), expressed how working on this series broadened their understanding of the infamous case. “To be honest, I wasn’t overly involved before, but as you delve into the court transcripts or other investigations about the household happenings, it becomes quite unsettling,” Lane remarked.

Initially, it might have seemed plausible to assume these wealthy youngsters would murder their parents for the money or inheritance, but it turns out to be a lot more intricate. While they’re still responsible for this heinous act, I believe we can perhaps grasp what drove them to such extremes.

‘Monsters’ Stars on Exploring Menendez Brothers Killings: “You Start to Understand What Led to That”

Lane admired Koch and Chavez greatly for their extraordinary performances. Additionally, he recognized Javier Bardem, who plays José Menendez in the production and serves as an executive producer.

Bardem mentioned that research is crucial when portraying a real person, but there wasn’t much audio or visual material available on José Menendez. In such situations, he deferred to the talented team of Ryan Murphy (the creator) and Ian [Brennan] (the writer) to handle the character development for him. Interestingly, Bardem collaborated extensively with both Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, as he served as an executive producer alongside Chloë Sevigny who played Kitty, his wife in the production.

He expressed his gratitude towards them, saying they involved him in numerous decisions, which made him feel incredibly cared for and safeguarded, as if they truly considered his viewpoint, much like Murphy and Brennan did.

“I’m not a pain in the ass,” Bardem joked. “I was not demanding too much.”

This week, a 10-episode series will debut on Netflix on Thursday. This marks the second Ryan Murphy-produced show to air this week, with the earlier release of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez on Tuesday.

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2024-09-18 04:54