‘Lizzie Borden’ Cast on Treating the Story as a Comedy, the Joy of Playing a Sadistic Character and Finding Empathy for a Bloody Monster: ‘I Understand This Person’

In Netflix's true-crime anthology series, "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story," Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan take a notorious murder case of America's history and mix it with elements of gothic horror, sexual melodrama, and camp. The story diverges from the original account of the Borden case, where Lizzie Borden, a 32-year-old woman, was tried and acquitted for the murders of her father and stepmother with an axe in their Massachusetts home in 1892.

Instead, the creators introduce a fictional narrative where Lizzie is an isolated and peculiar girl, living under the control of an abusive family.

The show follows Lizzie (Ella Beatty) and her maid, Bridget (Vicky Krieps), who becomes her confidante, lover, and partner in rebellion. The complex dynamics of female friendship, sexual curiosity, and murderous intent gradually blur the lines among them. The narrative also delves into themes such as menstruation, sexual repression, abortion, lesbian desire, and the mythology surrounding women who kill.

The production features ornate period interiors and a visual style that occasionally resembles a deranged fairy tale. The musical score incorporates modern overlays, such as Kate Bush's song during trial sequences, and a raucous track called "Cuntology 101" by the Lambrini Girls during a poisoning scene. The show's unapologetic approach to storytelling is evident in its use of exaggerated and unsubtle elements to make its point.

Despite the series' lack of subtlety, Beatty's portrayal of Lizzie is notable due to her inscrutable blankness, which adds to the confusion surrounding the character. The performances by the cast members are exaggerated and fierce, with Hunnam's Andrew being a swaggering patriarch, and Hall's Abby delivering a shrill and vicious performance. Sarah Paulson's addition as Aileen Wuornos, a Florida serial killer, further complicates the storyline without any clear connection to the original case.