The Menendez brothers Erik and Lyle could soon be released from a California prison consequently, they have also been in the news for their new Netflix series, Monsters, which portrays their lives.
The Menendez brothers’ story has left America confused for years, but this new Netflix Series gives viewers a better understanding of what the boys endured and their thought process behind the heinous acts they committed.
The series shows what they went through with the “sexual” abuse by their parents and gives the audience a clear point of view of what the boys experienced.
The series starts by showing the audience the cockiness and arrogance of the boys at their young age. On the way to their parents’ funeral, Lyle is rude to their driver and orders him to change the channel. Erik appears soft and sensitive especially when he realizes his brother is wearing his dad’s shoes.
Throughout the show, viewers watch what can be perceived as Lyle’s meanness and almost satisfaction with his parent’s death, while Erik struggles. The show also shows the emotional damage they endured dealing with their father and mother’s sexual, physical and emotional abuse. In my eyes, this helps to justify Lyle’s action because it shows the torment the brothers endured.
However, I feel that the film makes a poor judgment of the oldest brother, Lyle. It points him out as an angry adolescent while making Erik seem sweet and innocent. I feel this is not a problem when it comes to film rating, were they trying to help or entertain? And this portrayal of Lyle was wrong.
After watching the show, I viewed other films that documented their court case. Lyle’s attitude that was seen in the movie does not appear in any of these films. The depiction of both brothers should be unbiased..
Also, Erik issued the following statement after viewing the show: “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women.” The trial that convicted the boys did not allow testimony about sexual abuse.
Overall, I feel that the film is intriguing; especially if true crime shows interest you. It goes into depth on the boys’ background and gives you a sense of remorse for the boys. The series is very interesting and I believe it will be a key piece in swaying the state of California to grant the brothers early release.