Netflix’s ‘The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’: What It Gets Wrong

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is the newest true crime drama on Netflix that depicts the shocking tale of two brothers who murdered their parents in 1989.

During their trial, the Menendez brothers asserted that their father, José Menendez, had been abusing them since childhood, with their mother, Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez, allegedly complicit in that abuse.

Produced by Ryan Murphy—renowned for projects like “American Horror Story,” along with true crime series such as “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and “The People v. O.J. Simpson”—this series dramatizes the case while taking artistic liberties with the brothers’ lives and the legal proceedings involved.

While the series has generated buzz, it has also faced criticism for various inaccuracies in its portrayal of events surrounding the murders.

One significant flaw in the show’s depiction is how it portrays the final moments of José and Kitty Menendez’s lives. The series shows the brothers entering their parents’ room with shotguns, prompting José to ask, “What are you doing? What is that?” However, reports from The Los Angeles Times state that José was shot in the back of the head at close range while watching television, meaning he likely didn’t see his sons as the attackers.

Kitty tried to escape but was shot multiple times in the head and body during the horrifying attack. This crucial detail alters the context of the brothers’ actions and the perceived premeditation involved.

In the series’ second episode, the narrative suggests that the brothers concocted an alibi by visiting a movie theater in Los Angeles after the murders. In reality, while the brothers told authorities they had been at a theater, they actually remained at their parents’ home and did not follow through with the alibi. Erik Menendez expressed disbelief in a 1996 ABC interview, noting that despite the gunfire in a busy neighborhood, no one called the police. He stated, “We didn’t have an alibi; all we did was say we were at the movies.”

Another controversial aspect of the series is its suggestion of an incestuous relationship between Lyle and Erik. The show features scenes where Lyle kisses Erik, accompanied by insinuations from a character based on journalist Dominick Dunne, suggesting this relationship may have been a motive for the killings. However, no evidence supports the idea of such a relationship existing between the brothers.

A representative of the Menendez family publicly criticized the portrayal, arguing that the series could have drawn from a wealth of factual material but instead favors sensationalized fiction. The statement condemned the suggestion of incest, describing it as “the height of pure evil.”

Additionally, the series implies Erik has a gay identity. In one episode, he recounts a relationship with a teenage boy following the abuse he suffered. However, Erik has denied being gay, stating that suggestions to the contrary emerged as an attempt to discredit him during the trial. He remarked, “The prosecutor brought that up because I was sexually molested… But I am not gay.” Furthermore, Erik married Tammi Menendez in 1999, and they remain together today.

The dramatization of such sensitive events raises questions regarding the balance between storytelling and factual representation in portrayals of real-life tragedies. As the series unfolds, viewers are compelled to assess how much of the narrative aligns with established facts versus artistic interpretation.

In the realm of true crime entertainment, the line between fact and fiction often becomes blurred, as seen in “Monsters.” While it aims to bring awareness to the Menendez case, it also raises critical conversations about the responsibility of media creators in presenting historical narratives accurately.

Source: Business Insider