Monsters: Ryan Murphy Responds to Erik Menendez
Since its release on September 19, 2024 on Netflix, the series Monsters: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendez provoked a lot of reactions. This dramatic thriller, which focuses on the murder of José and Kitty Menendez by their sons Lyle and Erik in 1989, has reignited the debate on this topic high profile criminal case. Among the most heated critics were Erik Menendez himself, who strongly denounced the representation of his life in the series, calling creator Ryan Murphy “naive and inaccurate.” Faced with these accusations, Murphy recently spoke out to defend his series.
In an interview given to Show tonightRyan Murphy responded to Erik Menendez’s criticism, pointing out that the latter I probably hadn’t seen the series before commenting on it. “I find it interesting that he made a statement without having seen the show,” Murphy said. “It’s really, really hard — when it comes to your life — to have your story brought to life on screen.”
Murphy admits that depicting the lives of real people, especially in such sensitive matters, can lead to strong reactions. “It’s difficult to confront your own story through an outside perspective, especially when it’s such a tragic event.”
A multiplicity of points of view
One of the points raised by Erik Menendez in his press release concerns the way the series addresses the sexual abuse that the two brothers claim to have suffered at the hands of their parents. Murphy, in response to this criticism, assured that the series grants a large space for this aspect of the story. “If you watch the show, I would say 60-65 percent of the show, both in the scripts and the filmed version, is about the abuse and what they say they experienced,” she explained.
Murphy says the show’s team has handled this matter carefully. “We do it very carefully and give them the opportunity to speak openly about these allegations during the trial.”
Ryan Murphy also wanted to underline that the series Monsters does not seek to give a single version of the facts, but rather to explore them the different perspectives emerged during the Menendez brothers trials. “It’s a bit of an approach Rashomonwhere four people were involved. Two of them died. And the parents’ point of view?” Murphy said. “As storytellers, we had an obligation to try to represent their point of view, based on our research.”
Murphy insisted that the series does not take sides, but tries to show the points of view of all the protagonists of this tragedy, including that of Dominick Dunne, the famous journalist of Vanity Fair who had written extensively on the matter.
A Controversial Portrait of the Menendez Brothers
One of the most controversial scenes of the Monsters shows Lyle and Erik Menendez in a situation of implied incest, with a scene in which the two brothers are shown showering together. This depiction of a “homoerotic” relationship shocked many viewers and reinforced criticism of Erik Menendez.
Murphy, however, defended this interpretation by stressing that this idea was not invented for the needs of the series, but was born from a advanced theory during the trial. “What the show does is present the perspectives and theories of many of the people involved in this case,” he explained. “Dominick Dunne has written several articles discussing this theory. We presented his view because we had an obligation to show all the evidence that had come to light on this subject.”
Source: Cine Serie
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