Netflix released the fourth season of Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology series “Monster” on Sept. 17, this time turning to a case rooted in New England history: the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts.
The eight-episode season, titled “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,” centers on Lizzie Borden, the daughter of Andrew Borden who was tried and acquitted in the killings of her father and stepmother, both of whom were bludgeoned to death with a hatchet. The case has never been officially solved, and Borden has remained a fixture of American folklore for more than a century.
Netflix’s official synopsis describes the story as one of a “repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family” and her maid who “find themselves trapped in a house built on humiliation and cruelty” and “escape into a fantasy of sex, power, and revenge.” The synopsis adds that the killings “give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage.”
Ella Beatty, known for her role in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” stars as Lizzie Borden. She is the first female lead perpetrator across the four seasons of “Monster,” which previously dramatized Jeffrey Dahmer, brothers 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.”
The cast also includes Vicky Krieps in a dual role as Borden family housemaid Bridget Sullivan and alleged serial killer Elizabeth Báthory; Charlie Hunnam, who played Ed Gein in Season 3, as Lizzie’s father Andrew Borden; and Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, Andrew’s second wife and Lizzie’s stepmother.
Sarah Paulson and Billie Lourd, both regular presences in Murphy’s projects, portray serial killer Aileen Wuornos and Lizzie’s older sister Emma Borden, respectively. Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari and Oliver Spenceman round out the cast.
“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” is available exclusively on Netflix.
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