Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology series “Monster” released its fourth season on Netflix today, Sept. 17, this time centered on Lizzie Borden and the unsolved 1892 killings of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts.
The eight-episode season, titled “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,” dramatizes the case of Lizzie Borden, who was accused and tried as the prime suspect in the bludgeoning deaths of her father Andrew Borden and stepmother Abby Borden. Both were killed with a hatchet, a crime that has remained a fixture of American folklore and New England history for more than 130 years.
Ella Beatty, known for her role in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” stars as Lizzie Borden, marking the anthology’s first season built around a female subject after previous installments covering Jeffrey Dahmer, Erik and Lyle Menendez, and Ed Gein.
“I am so excited for viewers to experience our exploration of Lizzie Borden’s story and the questions that her life animates to this day,” Beatty told Netflix. “This season gives us our first female ‘Monster’ and delves into female rage and repression which I’ve found to feel strikingly relevant. I cannot wait to share it with the world.”
Netflix’s official synopsis describes a household defined by cruelty and humiliation: “When the repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family and her rebellious maid find themselves trapped in a house built on humiliation and cruelty, they escape into a fantasy of sex, power, and revenge. The gruesome unsolved murders that follow don’t just shock the world — they give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage, choosing instead to forge her own legend: shocking, monstrous, and gloriously free.”
The cast includes Vicky Krieps in a dual role as the Borden family’s housemaid, Bridget Sullivan, and as alleged serial killer Elizabeth Báthory. Charlie Hunnam, who played Ed Gein in the anthology’s third season, returns in a different role this time, playing Lizzie’s father, Andrew Borden. Rebecca Hall plays Abby Borden, Andrew’s second wife and Lizzie’s stepmother.
Also appearing are Murphy regulars Sarah Paulson, portraying serial killer Aileen Wuornos, and Billie Lourd, playing Lizzie’s older sister, Emma Borden. Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari and Oliver Spenceman round out the cast.
“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
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