The poster for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story
News Monster Netflix Now Showing Ryan Murphy True crime TV

Netflix is getting slammed for its ‘psychotic’ Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story promo

'Netflix out here building a serial killer cinematic universe'

Daisy Phillipson
17th September 2026, 16:08
Add as preferred source on Google
Add as preferred source on Google

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story has only just landed on Netflix, and already it’s facing backlash – this time, it’s to do with a promo video rather than the contents of the show itself. 

Let’s face it: Ryan Murphy’s Monster series has been controversial from season one, which told the life and crimes of Jeffrey Dahmer. Since then, the series has covered the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein, with each chapter blending factual true crime cases with sensationalised – often sexualised – speculation. 

Now, it’s turning attention to the 135-year-old unsolved case of Lizzie Borden, who was accused but never convicted of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet. 

In this version, the Bordens’ housemaid Bridget Sullivan has been reimagined as a sexually liberated, feminist punk rocker who helps to free Lizzie from the shackles of uptight Victorian society. 

Is there any historical basis for their relationship? No, but you can bet millions of people will be tuning in to the series over the next few days. 

But it’s not even the liberties taken with Lizzie’s story that have sparked the latest backlash. Instead, people are taking issue with the way Netflix has chosen to present Monster itself.

Netflix introduces Lizzie Borden as ‘the next monster’

Ahead of its release, the streamer dropped a flashy promo video introducing Lizzie by lining her up alongside Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein. Alongside this, Netflix wrote, “Get ready to meet the next monster…”

It’s almost like it was unveiling the latest superhero to join a cinematic universe, and this is what people have an issue with. As one X user wrote, “There is something so deeply sickening about true crime content. Like why does Netflix have a serial killer cinematic universe?”

“Netflix out here building a serial killer cinematic universe. Next Tudum we’ll get an Avengers styled roadmap that culminates in Monster: Infinity War or some sh*t,” said another, while a third added, “Stop treating serial killers like MCU characters you f**king weirdos.”

And a fourth simply replied, “This is kinda psychotic.”

Others have pointed out the fact that these cases involved real victims, whose families can still be affected by the way their deaths are used for entertainment. This is particularly relevant to Dahmer, who murdered 17 boys and men between 1978 and 1991, with relatives of several victims still alive today.

“Imagine seeing Netflix announce your grandma’s killer as if he were a FIFA 17 walker,” said one X user. 

Another commented, “Imagine being murdered in the most brutal way possibly imaginable, then 30 years later, Netflix is introducing your killer like the newest member of the WWE.”

“The only one that kinda gets a pass is the one about the Menéndez brothers, and that’s just because they’re not serial killers,” added a third. “Aside from that, all the other monsters Netflix has churned out have been total crap, and it’s because they don’t focus on teaching people about psychopaths, but instead on pandering to morbid curiosity.”

And a fourth said, “It’s wrong the way y’all glorify these killers. Plain evil. All this does is inspire the next serial killer to be made.”

Not everyone sees it in this way, however, including this person who said, “You guys should chill. They’re just promoting their shii, it’s not like they’re glorifying serial killers.”

For all the latest film and TV updates and hot takes, like our Facebook page.

Featured image credit: Netflix