Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story — Netflix’s First Female “Monster”

Netflix’s anthology series Monster returns with its fourth season, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, premiering on September 17. The eight-episode arc follows the 1892 axe murders in Fall River, Massachusetts, and introduces the franchise’s first female “monster.” Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden, with Vicky Krieps as Bridget Sullivan, Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden, and supporting roles for Billie Lourd, Joey Pollari, Sarah Paulson and Jessica Barden.

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The real-life case—Lizzie Borden’s 1892 killings of her father and stepmother, followed by an 1893 trial that acquitted her—has inspired numerous adaptations, from the 1975 TV movie *The Legend of Lizzie Borden* to Lifetime’s 2014 series and the 2018 film *Lizzie* starring Chloë Sevigny. The Monster anthology, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, previously dramatized male killers Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein. This season marks a thematic shift to explore female rage and repression.

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• Ian Brennan – co-creator, writer, executive producer

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• Ryan Murphy – executive producer

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• Max Winkler – director of all eight episodes, co-director (episodes 4 & 6) with Sarah Adina Smith

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• Ella Beatty – Lizzie Borden

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• Vicky Krieps – Bridget Sullivan

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• Rebecca Hall – Abby Borden

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• Charlie Hunnam – Andrew Borden

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Additional executive producers include Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Louise Shore, Nissa Diederich, Todd Kubrak, Carl Franklin and Tanase Popa.

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Ian Brennan explained that the series aims to examine how 19th-century gender expectations rendered women “almost a completely different species,” making the notion of a female axe murderer both shocking and mythic. Ella Beatty said she was eager to explore Borden’s “complicated psychology” and the enduring questions her story raises, emphasizing the relevance of female rage and repression today.

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The season’s darkly comic tone is underscored by a contemporary soundtrack featuring artists such as Kate Bush and Wet Leg. With its release slated for September 17, the show is poised to generate fresh discussion about historical violence, gendered narratives, and the cultural legacy of Lizzie Borden.

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