Netflix’s Monsters explores Lizzie Borden mystery in first female-focused season

Netflix's Monsters delves into the Lizzie Borden mystery in its inaugural female-focused season, a bold shift for the biographical crime drama anthology. American actress Ella Beatty takes on the role of Lizzie Borden, portraying the woman accused of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892. Series creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan were driven by their fascination with the story of a woman accused of murder.

The anthology series dramatizes high-profile American homicide cases, with each season focusing on a different killer, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein, and Lyle and Erik Menendez. Lizzie Borden's trial and acquittal in 1892 has become a part of American culture through various mediums, yet the details of the crime remain shrouded in mystery.

Actress Rebecca Hall, who plays Lizzie's stepmother, Abby Borden, was unaware of the lack of conviction and the multitude of unanswered questions surrounding the case. Director Max Winkler used the perceived limitations placed on women in the 1890s to explore the concept of "female rage" and the potential for violence when societal expectations are not met.

Winkler emphasizes that the show does not assume anyone is born evil but seeks to understand the pressures that can lead people to commit acts of violence.