Short version of this Monsters Menendez review: it’s a compulsively watchable, well-acted true-crime drama that a lot of critics, and the real people involved, found troubling. Ryan Murphy’s retelling of the Menendez brothers’ case was a massive hit and a genuine ethical flashpoint. Spoiler-light, and the objections quoted here come from named parties.
📌 Key Takeaways
- It’s divisive, not acclaimed: critics were sharply split on its artistic and moral value, even as it drew a huge audience.
- The performances carry it: Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as the brothers, plus Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, with a much-praised single-take episode (“The Hurt Man”).
- The controversy is central: many called it exploitative, and Erik Menendez and his family publicly condemned it. This is not neutral entertainment.
This article is for: anyone deciding whether to watch this nine-episode true-crime series and weighing its craft against its controversy.
A Divided Verdict
Stream Decoded verdict: 3 out of 5. Compulsively watchable and genuinely divisive, with real questions about how it treats its subjects.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology, dramatizing the 1989 killing of José and Kitty Menendez by their sons and the trials that followed. It’s nine episodes, released in 2024.
The consensus is genuine division: strong performances and huge viewership on one side, accusations of sensationalism and real objections from the people involved on the other. So this Monsters Menendez review is less a simple recommendation than a “know what you’re getting into.”
What Works
The lead performances. Cooper Koch as Erik and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle drew wide praise, with Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny strong as the parents.
“The Hurt Man.” The fifth episode, a long single-take monologue built around Erik, was singled out by many as a genuine formal achievement and the season’s high point.
The production. The direction and period design are polished, and at its best the series is undeniably gripping.
The Ethical Objections
Accusations of exploitation. Major outlets called it sensationalized and tonally inconsistent, arguing it treats a real tragedy as lurid spectacle.
The real family objected. Erik Menendez publicly condemned the series, and members of the Menendez family criticized its portrayal, which is central to the ethical debate around it.
It’s long and uneven. Across nine episodes the tone shifts considerably, and it overstretches, including in its handling of sensitive material.
Nine Episodes, Timed
Nine episodes, 7 hours 50 minutes, measured from Netflix’s US listings. They run 36 to 65 minutes.
The season in full.
| # | Episode | Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blame It on the Rain | 57m |
| 2 | Spree | 54m |
| 3 | Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | 49m |
| 4 | Kill or Be Killed | 49m |
| 5 | The Hurt Man | 36m |
| 6 | Don’t Dream It’s Over | 1h 5m |
| 7 | Showtime | 54m |
| 8 | Seismic Shifts | 51m |
| 9 | Hang Men | 55m |
The spread matters here more than the total. Episode 5, the single-take monologue, is 36 minutes — the longest in the season and effectively a one-act play. The “it’s long and uneven” complaint is visible in this column: the season swings by 29 minutes between its shortest and longest hours.
Who Should Watch, With Context
Whether Monsters is worth watching depends on how you weigh strong craft against real ethical concerns.
Watch it if you follow prestige true crime and Ryan Murphy’s style, and you want to see performances, especially Cooper Koch’s, that generated real awards conversation. Go in aware that it’s dramatized and contested.
Skip it if you want victim-sensitive, factually careful storytelling, or you’re uncomfortable with dramatizations that the real subjects have condemned as exploitative. Those objections are serious and worth respecting.
Where This Leaves You
This Monsters Menendez review lands on honest division: it’s a gripping, well-acted, hugely popular series that is also genuinely controversial, with critics split and the real people involved objecting to it. If you watch, it’s worth doing so with that context in mind, not as straight entertainment. For a factual grounding in real cases, the true-story guides below may serve you better.
Sources
- Rotten Tomatoes — Monster Season 2
- Metacritic — Monster Season 2
- Wikipedia — Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
More guides on StreamDecoded: