Viewers have applauded the casting decisions behind Netflix’s new true crime series about the Menendez brothers.
The streaming service premiered the second installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s popular Monster series on September 19.
The new series, which is called Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, follows the success of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
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It spotlights the high-profile 1989 case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, the brothers who were convicted of murdering their father José, 45, and mother Mary Louise, 47, at their home in Beverly Hills.
Watch the Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer below:
On August 20, 1989, Lyle, a then-22-year-old Princeton student, and Erik, a then-19-year-old professional tennis player, shot their father – including one point blank in the back of the head – before turning the gun on their mother and shooting her nine times.
The brothers discarded the gun and their clothes and bought tickets to the cinema to see Batman. They then returned to their home and called Beverly Hills Emergency line, claiming that they found their parents’ lifeless bodies and that someone else murdered them.
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Police did not initially suspect Lyle and Erik, however, they soon became suspicious after the brothers started spending their dead parents’ money on expensive cars and watches. But it wasn’t until a therapy session with Dr. Jerome Oziel that their suspicions were confirmed.
In the recording, which was taped on 11 December 1989, the brothers told Oziel that they had killed their mother to put her “out of her misery” while their father deserved to die because “his infidelity had led to that misery,” as cited by LA Times.
Both men were arrested and taken to court, where they testified that they suffered years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their late parents. They were soon found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in March 1996.
Neither Erik, now 53, nor Lyle, now 56, are eligible for parole and will spend the rest of their lives in prison.
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The release of the latest Netflix series highlights the complex dynamics of the Menendez family, portraying the events that led to the brutal killing of the wealthy couple.
The show stars Chloë Sevigny, Javier Bardem, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, and Cooper Koch as Kitty, José, Lyle, and Nick respectively.
Many viewers have been left awe-struck by the resemblance between the show’s main stars and real-life counterparts.
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“Ryan Murphy’s team knows how to choose their cast very well. I am shocked with the performances of Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, where they are amazing in their roles,” one person penned, while a second added: “This show is making me cry. The casting is perfect!”
Meanwhile, others slammed the show’s creator for implying that Lyle and Erik had an incestuous relationship in one particular scene.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available to stream on Netflix.
