From a critically-acclaimed Edie Falco series to a Courtney Love Lifetime movie, the Menendez family murders have captivated audiences for years
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The shocking true story of the Menendez brothers is back in the spotlight thanks to the new Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
The Ryan Murphy-produced show focuses on the high-profile murders of José and Kitty Menendez, with their sons, Lyle and Erik, later convicted of carrying out the killings. For prosecutors, the kids were out to inherit their parents' fortune; others, however, believe Lyle and Erik were acting out after years of abuse.
The Netflix show has renewed interest in the Menendez brothers, with a number of books about the case back on the Amazon charts. As of this writing, an updated edition of Robert Rand's “The Menendez Murders” has risen to number one on Amazon's true crime biographies list. Netflix also has a new documentary titled The Menendez Brotherswhich promises new interviews with the siblings, “in their own words.”
The Netflix shows may be making headlines, but they weren't the first high-profile projects about the Menendez brothers. In 2017, NBC aired a series titled Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.
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Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders
From Wolf Entertainment, the team behind Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise, the series starred Edie Falco as Leslie Abramson, the defense attorney who represented Lyle and Erik Menendez. Gus Halper starred as Erik Menendez (the role played by Cooper Koch on the Netflix series), while Miles Gaston Villanueva played Lyle Menendez (played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez in Monsters).
While the series originally aired on NBC, Law & Order: The Menendez Murders is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Amazon has individual episodes available to watch for $2.99, or you can download the entire eight-episode series for $19 here.
While Monsters offered a deeper look into Lyle and Erik's life of luxury, the Law & Order series focuses more on the court case, with Falco starring as the brothers' lawyer. The former Sopranos actress' role was critically acclaimed and Falco went on to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Stream Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders online here.
Menendez: Blood Brothers
Falco isn't the only high-profile name to have tackled a Menendez family show or film. Menendez: Blood Brothers was a 2017 Lifetime movie that starred Courtney Love as Kitty Menendez. Nico Tortorella played Lyle, and Myko Olivier played Erik. The film is now streaming free on Prime Video for Amazon Prime members.
Not a Prime member? Get a 30-day free trial here to watch Menendez: Blood Brothers online free.
Other Menendez Brothers Shows, Movies, Documentaries
In addition to Monsters and the Law & Order miniseries, there are a few other Menendez brothers shows and documentaries streaming online right now.
The publicity brought on by Monsters has not only led to a surge of new interest in the Menendez family — many have also cited the publicity of the show as part of the Los Angeles District Attorney's recent decision to “reevaluate” the case.
