Netflix fans find Ryan Murphy’s latest project to be a different kind of “American Horror Story.”
The prolific 58-year-old creator’s film “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” released Thursday, has drawn criticism from viewers who find the suggestion of an incestuous relationship between the notorious brothers “disrespectful” and “repulsive.”
The nine-part fictional series takes us through the events leading up to the sensational murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989 at the hands of their two sons, who insisted that their father had sexually abused them – and through the aftermath of this brutal crime.
The allusions begin in the second episode, titled “Spree,” where it is implied that Lyle, now 56, and Erik, 53, had a romantic relationship – starting with a scene in which Lyle (played by Nicholas Chavez) enthusiastically kisses his brother (Cooper Koch).
In the show, the incest theory is presented as a theory by a journalist. According to this, the brothers were “hiding an even darker secret” that “had nothing to do with Jose.” This theory was allegedly put forward by Dominic Dunne of Vanity Fair – a storyline that, according to reports, is only partially true.
In the first so-called problematic episode, the siblings have already killed their parents, and Lyle now presents Erik with a vision of their future, which looks rosy now that Jose and Kitty are gone. He tells his brother that the two of them will live their best lives at the exclusive Bel-Air hotel in LA – before giving him a kiss on the lips.
Fans shared their disapproval on social media, with one viewer writing on X: “The Menendez brothers were victims of sexual abuse” and then calling the show “incestuous fanfiction.”
“This is awful,” another X user ranted in response to a video of the kissing scene. “Why are they portraying the Menendez brothers like this??? They never liked doing these things. What kind of perspective is that??? We need empathy – not sexualization.”
“The incestuous stuff on the show is disrespectful,” complained one X-poster.
One fan rounded off the shocked reactions with a tirade: “If Ryan wanted to make a show about twin brothers who develop an intimate relationship due to shared sexual trauma and parental abuse, then he should have written a new story. You can’t rewrite the experiences of real people and REAL VICTIMS as you see fit!”
In another episode, viewers see Lyle and Erik dancing seductively together at a party before Lyle does a line of cocaine. He then walks up to his brother, who is dancing with a woman, and stands between them.
At one point, the duo dances close together before Erik wipes powder from his brother’s nose and puts his thumb in his mouth. The party guests look on in disbelief.
Although the real Dunne never published an incest theory in his coverage of the trial, he wrote in his 1990 Vanity Fair article “Nightmare on Elm Drive” that sources had told him Lyle and Erik had been sexually abused.
The first trial against Lyle and Erik ended in 1994 with a failed jury agreement. In the second trial, the admission of evidence relating to the alleged sexual abuse of the siblings was declared inadmissible.
In the second trial, the brothers were found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 1996.
Lyle married Anna Eriksson in prison in 1996 and divorced her in 2001. He has been married to Rebecca Sneed since 2003. Erik has been married to his wife Tammi since 1999.
Murphy faced a similar outcry after releasing a 2022 Netflix miniseries about the life and crimes of serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, which reportedly sparked “disgust” among some viewers.
The lurid retelling became the second most streamed show on the platform shortly after its release.
