Netflix viewers urge caution over 'horrific' scene in Menendez brothers series: 'A hard watch'

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story premiered on Netflix last week, and viewers have been left 'shaken' by the graphic violence in the show. It is the second Monsters story and is the follow-up to the controversial Dahmer season.

Season two covers the story of the Menendez brothers, who killed their parents on August 20, 1989. The brothers were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Many people at the time suggested that Erik and Lyle had killed their parents to access their inheritance, despite the siblings testifying that they had suffered years of abuse at their hands.

Viewers shocked by 'graphic' violence in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Viewers have taken to social media to share their surprise at just how violent the murder scene is, which takes place in episode one. After watching the scene myself, I'd strongly suggest fast-forwarding if you can't handle blood and violence!

"I never saw Dahmer because I knew it would be too much for me to watch, but I'm watching this first episode of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and, MY GOD, the murder scene is so graphic," one user wrote on X.

"Ok, so I was NOT expecting that level of graphic violence on The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story 😥," another said.

"Fam, I'm watching Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story... They didn't have to make the scene when they killed their parents that graphic. SHEESH," a third added.

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"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Netflix is horrific and a hard watch," a fourth said. "It covers all aspects of what actually happened with the Menendez family and the murder in detail. The trial was heavily covered back in the 90s but outside of it, nobody knew what really happened."

"I was actually shaken by how graphic the murder scene was," someone else said. "It's Ryan Murphy, I shouldn't have been, but it was horrific to watch. Both of the boys are actually incredible."

What’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story about?

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan tackle the story of the brothers who fatally shot their parents, José and Mary Louise "Kitty" Menéndez, at close range in their Beverly Hills mansion. While police initially suspected the mob's involvement due to the gruesome nature of the murders, the brothers - who were 21 and 18 at the time - told police they found their parents shot dead at home.

However, the police received a tip-off about the brothers' involvement when Judalon Smyth, the mistress of Erik's psychologist, Jerome Oziel, revealed there were audiotapes of Erik confessing to the murders during his therapy sessions.

Following the brothers' arrest for first-degree murder, there was a highly publicised legal battle involving two juries, two trials, and one mistrial. Lyle and Erik's legal team argued that the brothers killed their parents in self-defence and they both testified that their mother and father abused them. The brothers claimed that they killed their parents out of fear their parents would kill them after they threatened to expose their years of sexual abuse.

Fans praise Monsters stars Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch

While viewers are shocked by the graphic violence, one thing they love is the actors Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch, who star as Lyle and Erik, respectively.

"Cooper Koch's performance as Erik Menendez in #MonstersNetflix, as someone who has watched the trials, is INSANE," one user said. "His mannerisms, the way he talks. Incredible. 'The Hurt Man' is my favourite episode so far. Still not entirely accurate, but very effective."

"Me watching Cooper Koch perform what's almost like a 20 minute monologue in ep 5 and embodying Erik Menendez like he invoked the spirit," another said.

"NAC [Nicholas Chavez] just got his Emmy reel with episode 4 of #MonstersNetflix," a third said of Nicholas' performance. "Lyle giving the recount of the sexual abuse is so tragically layered & even when I researched the actual story, I believed it then & I believe it now. But it's NAC so what do we [General Hospital fans] expect? Our boy DELIVERS."

"Ryan Murphy's team knows how to choose their cast very well," someone else wrote. "I am shocked with the performances of Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch... they are amazing in their roles."

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