Warning: This article contains discussions of child abuse that may be distressing for some readers.
Netflix’s latest series has left its audience divided, featuring what some describe as ‘the best acting’ they have ‘ever witnessed’ in a particularly ‘raw’ and ‘shocking’ scene.
The new addition to Netflix has stirred controversy, especially from the real-life family depicted in this biographical crime drama. They have criticized the show as ‘gross’.
Viewers have also expressed their discontent, with some labeling director Ryan Murphy as ‘vile’.
On the other hand, many are praising the actors, especially for a scene where an actor delivered ‘an unbroken, single camera masterclass’ that left viewers ‘floored’.
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” represents the second season of Netflix’s biographical crime drama anthology series, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.
The cast includes Javier Bardem (Skyfall), Cooper Koch (Swallowed), Nicholas Alexander Chavez (General Hospital), and Chloë Sevigny (Bloodline).
This season focuses on the 1989 murders of José (Bardem) and Kitty Menéndez (Sevigny) and the subsequent conviction of their sons Lyle (Chavez) and Erik Menendez (Koch) for the killings.
The season’s controversy stems not only from its subject matter and the real family’s criticisms but also from a specific scene in episode five that deals with ‘a difficult subject matter’.
A user from the LADbible Facebook Group Netflix Bangers shared a tweet discussing the series, particularly highlighting one episode.
The tweet reads: “I have no interest in any version of the Emmys or the Globes in 2025 where Cooper Koch is not given every possible award for ‘Episode 5: The Hurt Man’ – in which he delivers an unbroken, single camera masterclass in acting that has floored me entirely.”
In the scene, which lasts 33 minutes in a single take, Erik (played by Koch) breaks down in front of his lawyer Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor), detailing the abuse he endured during his childhood, shortly after being detained alongside his brother for their parents’ murder.
Other viewers have also shared their thoughts on this impactful scene.
One Facebook user commented: “100 percent agree – the best acting I think I’ve ever witnessed. A difficult subject matter, single take, natural, heartbreaking and emotional. If he doesn’t get an award for this then there is no justice…”
A second user added: “Agree! This is the episode that I had to take a break from,” with multiple others echoing: “Me too.”
A third viewer wrote: “Same, very hard to watch.”
A fourth concluded: “It was one of the most raw, intimate, shocking scenes I have ever watched, I felt every emotion and THAT people is a great actor! Felt a bit unscripted at times which made it feel all the more ‘real’ and not actors. One of the hardest programs I have ever watched due to the amount of graphic content but I felt it was extremely well portrayed.”
If these issues have affected you or you need to speak confidentially regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD, 1-800-422-4453) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and takes calls from the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.