Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.
Monster first premiered on September 21, 2022.
Distributed by Netflix.
Monster TV Series Review
Monster is a gripping true-crime anthology that dramatizes notorious criminal cases through different characters, perspectives and time periods.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the series combines crime, drama and psychological storytelling while taking creative liberties with real events.
Season 1 explores Jeffrey Dahmer’s crimes, focusing on his victims, family and the failures that allowed him to continue.
Season 2 examines Lyle and Erik Menendez and the murders of their parents, balancing courtroom drama with family conflict.
Season 3 turns to Ed Gein, exploring his disturbing life and crimes.
Season 4 follows Lizzie Borden, presenting a fictionalized historical mystery surrounding the infamous murders.
CR Rating: 8/10.
Monster Actors
Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden
DOB: April 8, 2000.
Bio: American actress born in Los Angeles, California.
She is the daughter of actors Warren Beatty and Annette Bening and grew up in a family closely connected to the entertainment industry.
Beatty trained at Juilliard and developed her acting career through stage and screen work.
Role: Lizzie Borden is the central character of the season.
She is portrayed as a young woman living within a wealthy but restrictive Victorian-era household in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Lizzie feels increasingly trapped by her father and stepmother and forms a close relationship with the family’s new maid, Bridget Sullivan.
Seasons & Episodes: S4 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Beatty is the first female lead of the Monster anthology.
She researched the historical case extensively before filming, including listening to true-crime podcasts to familiarize herself with the disputed facts surrounding Lizzie Borden.
Notable Works: Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, The Library, Act One.
Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer
DOB: January 20, 1987.
Bio: American actor known for his wide-ranging work in television and film.
He gained widespread recognition through Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Story, where he played multiple characters across the anthology series.
Role: Peters portrays Jeffrey Dahmer in Season 1 of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
The limited series dramatizes Dahmer’s crimes while also examining the experiences of his victims and the failures within law enforcement and other institutions that allowed his crimes to continue.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (10 eps).
Interesting facts: Peters received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Motion Picture for his performance as Dahmer.
Notable Works: American Horror Story, Mare of Easttown, Pose, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein/Andrew Borden
DOB: April 10, 1980.
Bio: English actor known for intense, layered performances in both television and film.
He gained international recognition for Sons of Anarchy and has built a career balancing rugged leading roles with morally complex characters.
Role: Hunnam portrays Ed Gein in season 3, exploring the historical figure whose crimes influenced multiple horror icons.
The role examines Gein’s psychology, personal history, and the societal factors surrounding his story.
Seasons & Episodes: S3-4 (15 eps).
Interesting facts: Hunnam told press the set had a surprisingly positive atmosphere as cast and crew focused on responsible storytelling.
Notable Works: Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez
DOB: July 16, 1996.
Bio: American actor who began performing at a young age through community theatre and later studied acting at Pace University.
He built his screen career with roles in independent films and television before gaining wider recognition for They/Them and Swallowed.
Role: Koch portrays Erik Menendez, the younger of the two Menendez brothers, in the second season of the Monster anthology.
The series explores the 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez and presents the case through multiple perspectives.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (9 eps).
Interesting facts: Koch carried out extensive research for the role, including watching trial footage and testimony.
Notable Works: Swallowed, They/Them, A New York Christmas Wedding, The Body.
Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez
DOB: September 6, 1999.
Bio: American actor who gained recognition for his role as Spencer Cassadine on the long-running daytime series General Hospital.
He later moved into high-profile television projects, including Ryan Murphy productions such as Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Grotesquerie.
Role: Chavez portrays Lyle Menendez, the older of the two Menendez brothers, in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The series dramatizes the 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez and examines the case from multiple perspectives, including the brothers’ claims of long-term abuse and the prosecution’s argument concerning their motives.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Chavez’s casting as Lyle came shortly after his breakout run as Spencer Cassadine on General Hospital.
Notable Works: General Hospital, Grotesquerie.
Niecy Nash as Glenda Cleveland
DOB: February 23, 1970.
Bio: American actress, comedian, television host and producer known for her work across comedy and drama.
She first gained wide recognition through Reno 911! and later starred in series including The Soul Man, Scream Queens, Claws and The Rookie: Feds.
Role: Nash portrays Glenda Cleveland, Jeffrey Dahmer’s neighbor, whose persistent but ignored warnings form a central narrative thread of the season.
Through her character, the series explores themes of systemic inaction, racial bias and community frustration.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Nash-Betts won the 2023 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her performance as Glenda Cleveland.
Notable Works: Reno 911!, Claws, When They See Us.
Javier Bardem as José Menendez
DOB: March 1, 1969.
Bio: Spanish actor known for his powerful and versatile performances in Spanish-language and international films.
Bardem won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Spanish actor to win an acting Oscar.
Role: Bardem portrays José Menendez, the father of Lyle and Erik Menendez and a successful music-industry executive.
In Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, José is presented as a powerful and demanding patriarch whose relationship with his sons is central to the story.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Bardem performance as José earned him nominations for Best Supporting Male Actor in a Television Series at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Notable Works: No Country for Old Men (Oscar), Biutiful, Skyfall, Before Night Falls.
Richard Jenkins as Lionel Dahmer
DOB: May 4, 1947.
Bio: American actor known for his extensive work across film, television and theatre.
He has built a reputation for nuanced performances in both leading and supporting roles.
Jenkins received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for The Visitor.
Role: Jenkins portrays Lionel Dahmer, the father of Jeffrey Dahmer.
The series explores Lionel’s relationship with his son and his attempts to understand the disturbing reality of Jeffrey’s crimes.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (9 eps).
Interesting facts: Jenkins’ performance as Lionel Dahmer earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Notable Works: The Visitor, Olive Kitteridge, The Shape of Water.
Molly Ringwald as Shari Dahmer
DOB: February 18, 1968.
Bio: American actress, writer, singer and translator who became one of the defining teen stars of 1980s cinema.
She gained widespread recognition through John Hughes films including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink.
Role: Ringwald portrays Shari Dahmer, Lionel’s second wife and Jeffrey’s stepmother.
Her performance explores complex family dynamics, emotional denial, and the shock of confronting her stepson’s crimes.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Ringwald’s presence tied the show to a cross-generational audience and highlighted how true crime stories intersect with familiar cultural faces.
Notable Works: The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles.
Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson
DOB: April 27, 1983.
Bio: American actress known for her work in film, television and theatre.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she began acting professionally at a young age and has built a career that includes both comedy and drama.
Role: Graynor portrays Leslie Abramson, the prominent Los Angeles defense attorney who served as lead counsel for Erik Menendez.
The performance presents Abramson as a forceful, highly committed attorney who becomes deeply invested in Erik’s defense.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 & 4 (7 eps).
Interesting facts: Graynor researched Abramson extensively and said she became deeply interested in understanding her experiences during the Menendez trial.
Notable Works: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, The Sopranos, I’m Dying Up Here, Fringe, Whip It.
Michael Learned as Catherine Dahmer
DOB: April 9, 1939.
Bio: American actress with a long career in television, film and theatre.
Born in Washington, D.C., she developed an interest in acting while attending boarding school in England and later gained professional experience through stage work, including performances with the American Conservatory Theater.
Role: Catherine Dahmer is Jeffrey Dahmer’s grandmother. In DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Catherine opens her home to Jeffrey because she is concerned about his behavior and troubled home life.
She believes that living with her and experiencing a different environment might help him change.
Seasons & Episodes: S1 (5 eps).
Interesting facts: Learned has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, with three victories for The Waltons and another for Nurse.
Notable Works: The Waltons, Nurse, General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, St. Elsewhere, Scrubs.
Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez
DOB: November 18, 1974.
Bio: American actress and director known for her work in independent film, television and theatre.
She made her feature-film debut in Kids before gaining wider recognition for her Academy Award-nominated performance as Lana Tisdel in Boys Don’t Cry.
Role: Sevigny portrays Kitty Menendez, the mother of Lyle and Erik Menendez, in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The performance explores Kitty’s troubled marriage to José Menendez, her relationship with her sons and the dysfunctional family environment surrounding the case.
Seasons & Episodes: S2 (8 eps).
Interesting facts: Sevigny’s performance as Kitty Menendez earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Notable Works: Boys Don’t Cry, Big Love, American Psycho, The Brown Bunny.
More Actors
• Michael Beach as Detective Murphy.
• Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel.
• Suzanna Son as Adeline Watkins.
• Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne.
FAQ – Monster TV Series
What is Monster about?
Monster is a true-crime anthology created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. Each installment dramatizes a different notorious criminal case and explores the people and circumstances surrounding it.
Is Monster based on true stories?
Yes. Each installment is inspired by real criminal cases and historical figures, although the series uses dramatic storytelling and fictionalized elements.
Is Monster an anthology series?
Yes. Each installment tells a different true-crime story, with new characters and settings while maintaining the overall Monster anthology format.
How many seasons of Monster are there?
Monster currently has four installments. They focus on Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, Ed Gein and Lizzie Borden.
Where can I watch Monster?
The Monster anthology is available to stream on Netflix. The fourth installment, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, is currently streaming globally on Netflix.
Conclusion
Monster delivers a dark and dramatic take on infamous true-crime cases, combining strong performances, psychological tension and fictionalized storytelling across its seasons.