After the release of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” was released on Netflix, huge amounts of backlash were thrown toward the streaming service. They then announced they were releasing a documentary on “The Menendez Brothers,” including interviews from them for the first time in 35 years.
With this news came more media attention on the 1989 case. The documentary was a well-done, accurate portrayal of the case’s timeline, events, and story. It was less dramatized and delved more into the motive and the long-term effects of the brothers.
The pacing of the hour and 58-minute documentary was engaging due to the addition of the brothers themselves being interviewed throughout the duration. They mention how the murders went down, the sexual and emotional abuse that their parents inflicted on them, and everything after that.
The documentary mentions key details that affected their case at the time of the trials. Some of those include the difference in culture and stigma around male sexual abuse, the O.J. Simpson case, the jury being unable to come to a decision ending in a mistrial, and finally, the judge being heavily criticized and therefore excluding evidence in the retrial.
In a plethora of ways, this documentary and the brothers’ input debunked storylines that were incorporated into “Monsters,” as well as things they didn’t include. For example, the addition of the speculated incestual relationship between the brothers was included in the show but never once mentioned or hinted at as a motive in the documentary or real trials.
Not only that, but the recorded trials that are included in the documentary are barely touched in the show. Plenty of emotional aspects from the brothers are displayed in their interviews.
When asked to reflect on their lives and their crimes, they talk about how there had to have been another way out and how they could not save each other. Near the end of the documentary, a more emotional tone radiates throughout.
However, the chances are that people who watched “Monsters” and already formed their opinions on how the show portrayed their story probably won’t take the time to watch the documentary that includes the brothers’ interview since they were incarcerated 35 years ago. It seems odd that they waited to drop the documentary until after the show; however, the effort was appreciated. And the awareness that came with a fresh feeling was worth the watch of both the show and the documentary, so one could compare and contrast fiction and reality.
People today still speculate the brothers killed their parents for money and that they lied about the abuse like a get-out-of-jail-free card. However, it is important to educate oneself on the details of the trial before taking a stance. If you watched “Monsters,” watch the documentary as well to balance out the inconsistencies that are dramatized in shows.
Grace Barrow • Oct 18, 2024 at 3:40 am
This was so well written Bernell! You did an amazing job at emphasizing that shows tend to dramatize things and so it is important to do more research in order to form an opinion! Amazing 👏🏼