Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

In August 1892, Lizzie Borden was accused of brutally murdering her stepmother and father with an axe. The ensuing trial became the stuff of legend, spawning various novels, TV dramas, a rock opera, and even a popular nursery rhyme. The latest telling of the infamous murders comes as the fourth instalment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true crime anthology series Monster. Like the showrunners’ depictions of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein, The Lizzie Borden Story plays fast and loose with historical fact but delivers a stylish and addictive drama that’s carried by a dazzling ensemble cast.

Ella Beatty (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You) plays Lizzie as a sympathetic and strange young woman living under the thumb of her ruthless stepmother (Rebecca Hall), who doesn’t think twice about humiliating her in front of guests. Meanwhile, her father (Charlie Hunnam, who played Ed Gein in the last series) is self-absorbed and indifferent towards his youngest daughter. Everything changes when the enigmatic and knowledgeable Bridget (Vicky Krieps) is hired to be the new maid. Lizzie is instantly drawn to her, and the pair quickly form a close friendship that leads to them devising a sinister plot.

Each actor is marvellous in their respective role, with Hall being a major standout. She relishes every moment as the wicked stepmother, bringing a gleeful cruelty to every scene she’s in that audiences will love to hate. Beatty is also tremendous throughout. By imbuing Lizzie with rich and nuanced emotion, the star succeeds in painting the protagonist as a complicated and tragic figure who viewers can relate to. Hunnam and Krieps are also consistently excellent, with Billie Lourd and Jessica Barden being other notable additions.

Unlike real life, where the case remains an unsolved mystery, Monster makes it clear in the first scene that this fictionalised version of Lizzie is guilty. The showrunners instead lean into the macabre rumours to deliver a heavily stylised take on events that draws upon the gruesome legend of Elizabeth Báthory to craft a viciously dark tale of feminist liberation and historic female violence.

The Lizzie Borden Story is just as slick as this anthology’s previous entries. While Murphy and Brennan take massive creative liberties with their script, the trade-off for historical inaccuracy is an engrossing period drama with commentary as sharp as Lizzie’s axe.

Andrew Murray

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is released on Netflix on 17^th September 2026.

Watch the trailer for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story here: