The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer reveals what controversial series has in store
The series is the second entry in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Monsters true-crime anthology series.
Netflix has released the first trailer for upcoming drama The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second entry in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series Monsters, following the controversial Dahmer in 2022.
The series will chronicle the case of the real-life brothers of its title – played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch – who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez.
Although the brothers have consistently claimed that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional and sexual abuse from their parents, the prosecution argued that they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, and they were handed life sentences with no possibility of parole.
The synopsis for the series promises that it will dive 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?".
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"I'm going to need you to walk me through what happened," Eric and Lyle are asked at the beginning of the trailer, before they are told: "Part of this process is the two of you reconnecting, growing closer as brothers."
Lyle retorts: "Eric and I killed our parents together, so I'd say that makes us pretty close."
The trailer appears to show them enjoying a glamorous life after the murder, but also includes hints of nightmares and some chilling flashbacks to when their parents (played by Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny) were still alive.
Meanwhile, there are also glimpses of their arrest and subsequent trial.
At one point, one of the brothers says in a voice-over: "Our life was one thing, and we decided we weren't going to take that anymore."
You can watch the trailer in full below.
Although Dahmer was a major hit on Netflix – becoming one of the most-viewed programmes in the streamer's history – it was also the subject of much controversy for the way it portrayed Dahmer and his crimes, receiving backlash from the families of some of his victims.
Because of that controversy and the nature of the Menendez case, some viewers have expressed concern about how this story will be handled – but we will have to wait until the series premieres later this month before we can be sure either way.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will premiere on Thursday 19th September on Netflix – sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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