10 true crime dramas like ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix hit, and the true crime drama series has held its spot in the Top 10 since its debut. The story of the Menendez brothers isn’t exactly new ground, but the detailed and empathetic approach makes for a highly bingeable series. However, it’s easy to polish off the show’s nine episodes. So, if you’re looking for another compelling true crime series, these ten give off similar vibes. 

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Once the credits roll on the last episode of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the first ‘what to watch next’ suggestion from Netflix will probably be Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. This was the first installment of Ryan Murphy’s “Monster” series. Murphy (understandably) isn’t nearly as empathetic towards Jeffrey Dahmer as he was with Lyle and Erik Menendez. But viewers who were fascinated with the exploration of the abuse and moral gray areas of the Menendez brothers’ story will find similar themes in The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. 

Richard Jenkins gives a stunning performance as Jeffrey Dahmer’s father, who struggles to reconcile the love he has for his son with the horrific things he’s done. Neicy Nash also stuns as Jeffrey Dahmer’s neighbor, who knows something isn’t right but isn’t taken seriously by authorities. This compelling take on Jeffrey Dahmer’s story will certainly scratch your true crime itch.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Another one of Ryan Murphy’s foray into true crime storytelling is The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. While there are two other seasons of American Crime Story, the season dissecting the O.J. Simpson trial has more similarities to The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. 

Like the new series about the Menendez brothers, The People v. O.J. Simpson explores the crime, the courtroom drama, and the peripheral details and characters that made this case so fascinating. Murphy gives equal attention to O.J. Simpson (and his legal team) and the prosecution, providing an incredibly well-rounded view of what went on behind the scenes of the trial. Even viewers who are familiar with the Simpson case will appreciate the nuance and humanity of The People v. O.J. Simpson.

Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story

While the first season of Dirty John follows the story of deranged man stalking and terrorizing a single woman and her daughters, the second season focuses on Betty Broderick, a woman convicted for murdering her ex-husband and his mistress-turned-wife. Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story has a lot in common with The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, aside from both just being true crime dramas.

The Betty Broderick Story takes the time to show the development of Betty and her husband’s relationship and its eventual deterioration. Betty is depicted alternately as sympathetic and unstable, which mirrors the treatment Erik and Lyle get in the new Netflix show. There are also similar elements of courtroom drama and the danger of building rage and the tragic events that result. 

The Act

How much abuse is needed to justify murder? What level of control necessitates planned murder as self defense? These are exactly the questions circling around both The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and The Act, a true crime drama series depicting the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

Like the popular Netflix series, The Act takes great care to portray the extent of the coercive control that Gypsy’s mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, exerted over her daughter. The abuses suffered by Gypsy were horrible, but the murder of her mother was even more horrible. As with the Menendez brothers, it’s hard to say definitively whether what Gypsy did was completely justified or completely wrong. The examination of that gray area (and impressive performances) is what makes The Act so compelling

Painkiller

Admittedly, Painkiller has a different format than The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Painkiller doesn’t focus on a specific true crime case, but rather, a comprehensive look at the the development and distribution of the drug OxyContin. However, considering the lives lost and families destroyed as a result of knowingly marketing a highly addictive substance, you might as well consider it a true crime case.

In the same way The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story explored the personalities and motivations of Erik and Lyle, as well as their parents, Painkiller examines the OxyContin crisis from the point of view of the drug producers, addicts, “pharma girls,” and federal investigators. Painkiller presents the same sort of nuance and rich storytelling as The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

The Girl from Plainville

If you’re drawn to dramas examining gray areas (though more in a legal sense than a moral one), you shouldn’t overlook The Girl From Plainville. This series presents the controversial case of Michelle Carter, a high school girl whose encouraging and coercive texts led to the suicide of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy. When the story initially broke, there were a lot of divisive opinions, and the Hulu series looks at multiple angles with surprising artistry.

Elle Fanning does an exceptional job in the series, and the way she conveyed Michelle Carter’s deeply fractured psyche is reminiscent of the way Lyle and Erik are depicted in The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. In both series, there are serious questions about guilt, mental illness, and abuse that viewers must ponder.

The Dropout

In the first half of The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, one thing that stands out is how deluded the brothers are. The planning of the murder was terrible and the way Lyle and Erik behaved and burned through money after the murder was even dumber—it’s amazing they thought everything would just blow over. It’s exactly that type of delusion that is also on display in The Dropout.

Following the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her scam biotech company, Theranos, The Dropout makes viewers come to their own conclusions about Holmes’ motivations. Was she a con artist from the start? Or did she actually believe the BS she was spewing? The reality is probably somewhere in between. But those questions are at the heart of The Dropout, and like The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, those questions will stick with viewers long after they finish the show.

When They See Us

When They See Us tells the story of one of the worst racially-motivated miscarriages of justice, so it only makes sense that Ava DuVernay is behind the project as creator, co-writer, and director. Viewers who support efforts to get Lyle and Erik Menendez a new trial will likely feel similar indignation for the way the legal system treated the Central Park Five. 

The Central Park Five, a group of five Black youths who were wrongfully convicted the rape and assault of a white female jogger in Central Park, later had their convictions overturned. However, that was only after decades of vilification and difficult incarceration. When They See Us depicts injustice and all its ugliness, and it’s impossible to look away. 

A Friend of the Family

Many viewers were equal parts fascinated and repulsed at the sexual abuse depicted in The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and how that kind of hideous abuse can continue for years unabated. If you’re one such viewer, then A Friend of the Family is required viewing. 

Sometimes an extremely difficult watch, A Friend of the Family tells the horrific story of Jan Broberg, a young girl who was strategically groomed kidnapped by Robert Berchtold, a man who befriended her family. The series is like watching a car accident in slow motion, as viewers see Berchtold manipulating Jan step by step. Like the abuse detailed in The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, what Jan suffered was tragic, and it’s a show that will stick with you for a while.

Candy

There are two recently released true crime drama series that tackled the murder of Betty Gore at the hands (and axe) of her neighbor, Candy Montgomery—Love & Death and Candy. Both are compelling depictions, but for my money, Candy is slightly better. 

One of the best aspects that set Candy apart is a surreal moment where Melanie Lynskey, as Betty, addresses the way she’s become overlooked in the narrative. Only Candy and Betty were there during the murder, and because of Betty’s death, all that’s really left is Candy’s account. No matter how sympathetic a documentary, show, or film might be towards Betty, the story is still inherently driven by Candy, not Betty. 

The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, along with Candy and the other shows featured on this list, took true crime stories—some of them very well known—and crafted a compelling narrative that investigates the nuance and horror in all these crimes. At their core, the best true crime dramas take a close look at human nature, both good and bad, and provide a deeper understanding of the crimes and those involved. After all, viewers can ask their own questions and reach their own conclusions. 

(featured image: Hulu)

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