‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Netflix Series Review - Exceptionally Boring and Terrible

In August 1989, José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menéndez (Chloë Sevigny) were shot dead by their sons, Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch). Their excuse? They were "inspired" by the Billionaire Boys Club. This opens that age-old debate about whether movies have the power to influence the audience. It's a stupid discussion. Why are movies always blamed for inciting negative behavior? There are many family-friendly films out there that preach good values to the audience, but our society is still terrible. Anyway, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story soon expands its view and clarifies that movies alone do not convert humans into criminals. Our surroundings play a crucial role in developing our thoughts and actions. Movies simply lend support to an already existing notion - they don't move you with their strings like a puppet. In Monsters, movies are also used as instruction manuals. Lyle recommends At Close Range to some of the characters so that, inside the courtroom, they can act as per his requirement. What's more, by showing Erik as a screenwriter, Monsters hits us with Hollywood-like dumb prison-break fantasies, and by displaying one incident from multiple perspectives, Monsters reinforces the fluid nature of storytelling - how it can smoothly bring to light different facets of a story and shift our allegiance through simple narrative tweaks.

Another point that Monsters tries to make is that serial killers have become celebrities. A group of people excitedly greet Lyle and Erik with "I Love You" cards and broad smiles. It's funny that such an indication comes from a series that has become a serial killer anthology. The first season, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was about, well, Jeffrey Dahmer and his crimes. This second season focuses on the Menéndez brothers, and there will be a third season in the future, which will explore the life of serial killer Ed Gein. Dahmer was heavily criticized for its almost sympathetic portrayal of the titular character. Monsters doesn't go in the same direction. It does initially give the impression that it's going to shine a commiserating light on the murderers, but all that changes after a few hours.

Lyle and Erik's psychopathic tendencies and manipulative tactics become apparent after a while. Their acting is bad purposefully as it's meant to suggest the fakeness behind every drop of tear they shed from their eyes. I was never convinced by their statements - their declaration of innocence. This is why I found it hard to believe that characters like Leslie (Ari Graynor) were easily fooled by the sexual assault stories and the tears. They buy the brothers' sob story because that's what the story demands. There is also that "Lie, cheat, kill, but don't get caught" mantra that pops up in your mind when Erik and Lyle confess their crime. Perhaps the point is to show that the brothers are cunning, scary, and repulsive. They can lie through their teeth. But that's something we learn very quickly, which is why Monsters starts going in circles after a while. Instead of saying anything new about the characters or their situation, it keeps making the same points. Every iteration of an existing idea or statement is merely more gruesome, not revelatory.

The sexual assault story is brought up in different ways with graphic details so that Monsters can trigger an intense response from the audience. In this respect, it doesn't seem very different from the Menéndez brothers. The fifth episode bluntly throws everything at your face as the camera steadily gazes at Erik while he narrates shocking incidents. Monsters, like the killers themselves, begins sounding like a broken record, making it uninteresting and tedious. For all its flaws, Dahmer at least properly utilized its runtime. Monsters, on the other hand, never convinces you that it requires nine long episodes. This could have easily been a film. Characters like Leslie and Dominick (Nathan Lane) are less satisfying as flesh and blood humans and seem more like representations of two kinds of thoughts. The former believes that not everybody is born a killer and that circumstances (physical and sexual abuse) push individuals to take fatal steps. The latter relies on the single truth that all killers who take the life of someone close to them are demons. They are liars; never trust them. Leslie and Dominick's function is too obvious. Their introduction scene is one of the worst things you will see this year. Then again, what else can you expect from a show where the earthquake becomes a visual representation of the shift in the brothers' public perception - their "good boys" facade is breaking in front of Americans (in case you fail to make this connection, don't worry. It's verbally told to us).

You can see The Menéndez Brothers as cautionary tales about early stardom. Money and fame can blind you and lead you to your own destruction if you are naive and not careful. Lyle's ego inflates so much through a fan letter that he tells his "fan" everything about the manipulative techniques he uses in the court, which only puts him into more trouble. Alas, all these thoughts cannot conceal the fact that Monsters is exceptionally boring and terrible. You think a mic problem would lead to an eruption, but the tension goes out with a whimper. Only Bardem remains watchable. His strict guy routine makes him a perfectly credible father. Bardem is so good that everything else in Monsters fails to measure up to his talent.

Final Score- [3/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times