Lauren Sarner
There’s a new set of monsters in town.
Netflix has released the first look photos for “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”
Executive produced by Ryan Murphy, “Monsters” is the next chapter of the true-crime anthology series that began with the smash hit “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” starring Evan Peters and Niecy Nash, who both won Golden Globes for their roles.
“Dahmer” was controversial, as the victims families slammed the show. But, it was a hit, as the platform’s second most popular show ever (behind “Stranger Things”).
Per the platform’s official description of the next chapter of the anthology series, “Following the massive success of DAHMER, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series returns with ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,’ chronicling the case of the real-life brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise ‘Kitty’ Menendez.”
In the teaser trailer, Kitty, played by Chloe Sevigney, can be heard saying, “I need to know what’s going on with you and the boys.”
Netflix plot synopsis continues, “While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed – and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole – that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.”
The platform’s summary concludes by saying that the show “dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?”
The show stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez (“General Hospital”) as Lyle and Cooper Koch (“They/Them”) as Erik.
Javier Bardem plays their father and Sevigny plays their mother.
In the first look photo, the family of four smiles, posed together, looking like a happy and ordinary family.
The real Lyle and Erik murdered their parents in 1989 and were convicted in 1996. Both brothers are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
In 2023, former inmate Anerae “X-Raided” Brown – a rapper who served 26 years for murder and met Lyle and Erik in prison – told The Post that Lyle is “a very charismatic, magnetic person. We just became people who could rely on each other.”
He added, “Lyle was the guy who started teaching me the value of utilizing my popularity to my advantage in a way where I can be influential for positive things. He was the first person to say, ‘Hey man, I think you should sign up for these classes, there’s another way to do your time.’”
In 2008, when Brown was transferred to Pleasant Valley State Prison, Erik Menendez was waiting to greet him, after a letter from Lyle.
“It said, essentially, ‘I love X-Raided, he’s my little brother and take care of him how you would take care of me,’” Brown, who left the Crips, recalled.
Brown praised Erik as a “calm, put-together” soul who picked up right where Lyle left off. “He was a positive influence on me, and somebody that I looked up to.”
However, Eugene L. Weems, an MMA fighter who served 17 years for robbery and knew Lyle before being released in late 2018, had a different account.
“He’s a coward, he’s very disrespectful,” he told The Post in 2023, referring to Lyle.
“He is flamboyant and he thinks he’s better than everyone else. This is how he is, this is truth. I dealt with him, we were friends.”
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” premieres Sept. 19 on Netflix.
This post was originally posted by NYPost
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