The Menendez Brothers are involved with a new Netflix documentary after they heavily criticised Ryan Murphy’s fictional adaptation of their story in the show Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
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The documentary, titled The Menendez Brothers, will arrive on the streamer on October 7 and was directed by Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Hartmann. Per a press release, it promises to “offer new insight and a fresh perspective on a case that people only think they know”.
A synopsis reads: “In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted for the murders of their parents in what became one of the most famous criminal cases of the late 20th century. For the first time in 30 years, and in their own words, both brothers revisit the trial that shocked the nation.
“Through extensive audio interviews with Lyle and Erik, lawyers involved in the trial, journalists who covered it, jurors, family, and other informed observers, acclaimed Argentinian director Alejandro Hartmann offers new insight and a fresh perspective on a case that people only think they know.”
Meanwhile, Murphy’s true crime drama telling the story of the infamous murder case was staunchly criticised by the brothers and viewers alike. The series came to Netflix last Thursday (September 19).
The series attracted criticism for depicting an incestuous relationship between the brothers, with scenes depicting them kissing. One scene involved their mother, played by Chloë Sevigny, walking in on them kissing in the shower.
During his retrial in 1995, Lyle testified that he had molested Erik while they were children. In the series, the brothers both discuss this as adults with their lawyer Leslie Abramson, (Ari Graynor), while recalling the abuse they suffered at the hands of their father, José.
Erik released a statement posted by his wife Tammi on social media, which read: “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.
He continued: “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.
“Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out. So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander.”
Erik's response to the Netflix's series.#NetflixMonsters #Netflix #RyanMurphy pic.twitter.com/Xz1waxA2u3
— Tammi Menendez (@TammiMenendez1) September 20, 2024
Murphy had faced similar criticism for his first instalment of the Monster series, which focused on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
Some family members of Dahmer’s victims criticised the series. Eric Perry, a cousin of Errol Lindsey, said the series had “retraumatised” his family. Murphy later claimed that the team behind the series reached out to 20 victims’ families and friends, but “not a single person responded”.
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