Finished Monsters? Here are eight more shows you can watch about Lyle and Erik Menendez
I’m hooked
Since its release, Monsters on Netflix hasn’t left the top 10. So if you, like clearly most of the world, have been watching it and now want to know even more about Lyle and Erik Menendez – you’ll be glad to know there are plenty more shows and films about their case.
Lyle and Erik killed their parents José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in their Beverly Hills home on August 20th, 1989. In March 1990, the Menendez brothers were arrested for their parents’ murders and placed on trial. Despite saying they had suffered years of abuse and felt no other way out, the brothers were found guilty, and have been in prison ever since.
Here is a rundown of even more shows you can watch about Lyle and Erik Menendez, and their case.
Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers – American Sons, American Murderers
In 2017, the Menendez brothers were featured in a documentary called Truth and Lies: The Menendez Brothers – American Sons, American Murderers. The programme was aired on ABC and said it gives an insight into the trial of Lyle and Erik Menendez. It’s now available on AppleTV.
The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All
This documentary came out on A&E in 2017, and it follows Erik Menendez as he describes via telephone the murders and the aftermath of the crime. The series also shows what were at the time never-before-seen photos and new interviews with prosecutors, law enforcement, close family and friends, as well as medical experts.
How They Were Caught: The Menendez Brothers
Buzzfeed Unsolved visited the Menendez case with a one-off special in 2020 called How They Were Caught: The Menendez Brothers. This episode is good for if you want a quick overview of the case, at just 17 minutes in length.
Menendez Brothers: Misjudged?
Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? is an hour and a half documentary film, that uses archive footage of the brothers as well as reenactments to cover what it has dubbed a “celebrity murder trial”. It covers how the case has become huge on TikTok, with users discussing if it was a cold-blooded murder for money or the result of years of abuse. You can watch it on Discovery Plus, and AppleTV.
Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed
In 2023, Peacock released a documentary which brings a new element to the case – and something that is still being discussed to this day. Last year, the Menendez brothers launched a new appeal, after new evidence alleged their father had also molested boy-band member Roy Rosello.
Roy has claimed his abuse started in the early 80s, when he was a minor. At the time, José Menendez was working as an executive at RCA Records. The Menendez brothers’ attorney filed a petition in May last year citing both Rosello’s claims and a letter given as evidence meant their convictions should be quashed. The Peacock documentary covers this.
Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders
In 2017 there was a series of Law & Order which focused highly on Menendez lawyer Leslie Abramson, as she navigated the case. At the time, Leslie spoke of seeing herself played on screen. “Oh boy,” she said on a call with The Wrap. “I have nothing to say. Absolutely nothing. Goodbye.” If you want to decide for yourself, the show is available on AppleTV.
Menendez: Blood Brothers
In 2017, the Menendez brothers were featured in Lifetime film, Menendez: Blood Brothers. This films says it “explores the inner lives and motivation behind the murders of entertainment executive Jose Menendez and his wife Kitty at the hands of their sons Lyle and Erik in 1989.”
The Menendez Brothers
Of course, if you watched the Netflix drama about their lives, you will probably be sticking around to watch the Netflix documentary version, too. On October 7th, Netflix releases The Menendez Brothers – which will allow them to tell their own story.
In the trailer for the documentary, the brothers can be heard saying: “Everyone asks why we killed our parents, maybe now, people can understand the truth.” The brothers provide audio in calls made to Netflix from the Donovan Correctional Facility, where they are currently serving life sentences.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.
Related stories recommended by this writer:
• How new evidence could set the Menendez brothers free, decades after their crime
• People are wondering if Cooper Koch wore a prosthetic for *that* shower scene in Monsters
• Where are they now: All the real life people who featured in Monsters on Netflix