“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” key art featuring Ella Beatty.
Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes’ reviews are in for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, and like previous seasons of creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Netflix true-crime anthology series, critics have an axe to grind.
The series — which examines the lives and horrific crimes of infamous real-life killers — kicked off in 2022 with Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, followed by Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in 2024 and Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Like the previous seasons of the series, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story consists of eight episodes. Ella Beatty — the daughter of actors Warren Beatty and Annette Bening — stars in the fourth season of Monster as Lizzie Borden, a Fall River, Mass., woman who was tried and acquitted in 1892 after being accused of committing heinous crimes with an axe against two family members.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story also stars Rebecca Hall (The Beauty) and Charlie Hunnam (The Ed Gein Story) as Lizzie’s stepmother and father, Abby and Andrew. Billie Lourd (American Horror Story) plays Lizzie’s sister, Emma, and Vicky Krieps (The Ed Gein Story) plays the Bordens’ maid, Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan.
All eight episodes of The Lizzie Borden Story premiered Thursday on Netflix. As of the publication of this article, The Lizzie Borden Story has earned a 50% “rotten” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on eight reviews. Audiences are harsher in their judgment, giving The Lizzie Borden Story a 26% “rotten” score on RT’s Popcornmeter based on over 50-plus verified user ratings.
The first three seasons of Monster were all spurned by Rotten Tomatoes critics. The Jeffrey Dahmer Story received a 57% “rotten” critics’ score, while The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story earned a 47% “rotten” score. The Ed Gein Story marked a new low on RT for the anthology series, with a 22% “rotten” critics’ score.
While audiences awarded The Jeffrey Dahmer Story 82% “fresh” score on RT’s Popcornmeter, the scores began to fall from there. The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story earned a 58% “rotten” audience score and The Ed Gein Story was given a 49% “rotten” score.
Note: “The Lizzie Borden Story” RT critics’ and audience score will be updated as more reviews are posted.
Disclaimer: The teaser trailer below includes violent imagery.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’?
Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence is among the critics on RT who give Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story a “rotten” review on RT. Miller writes in her RT review summary, “There’s a version of this season that could say something profound about the anger that might drive a woman to murder. But that would involve Monster fully understanding what, exactly, women might be angry about.”
Lucy Mangan of the Guardian has some praise for The Lizzie Borden Story on RT, but ultimately gives the season a “rotten” score, writing, “Stylish — it has an almost Wes Anderson feel at times — and it’s got brio, energy and is absolutely full of great performances … But the latest Monster has nothing to say about Borden.”
In his “rotten” take on the series, Matthew Creith of The Wrap writes, “At times, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story feels like a bunch of talented performers turned loose in an exceptionally expensive gothic playground.”
Karina Adelgaard of Heaven of Horror also gives The Lizzie Borden Story a “rotten” score on RT, writing, “Rebecca Hall and Sarah Paulson. I could watch them all day long as Lizzie’s stepmom, Abby, and the real-life convicted serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, respectively. The rest [of the production], I did not care much for.”
Aramide Tinubu of Variety is among the critics on RT who give the new installment of Monster a “fresh” score, writing, “As the fourth offering of this franchise, The Lizzie Borden Story offers something refreshing and wholly unique to the “Monster” canon.”
Benji Wilson of the Daily Telegraph also awards the new Monster season a “fresh” score on RT, writing, “The Lizzie Borden Story might claim to be an analysis of whether evil is born or made, but it certainly seems to take great pleasure in showing what evil looks like.”
Joel Keller of Decider also deems Monster Season 4 “fresh.” Keller writes in his RT review summary, “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story tells Borden’s story without most of the gimmickry we see in Brennan and Murphy’s productions. There’s still time for things to fly off the rails, but we’re enjoying the relative restraint so far.”
While Gabrielle Moss of Collider gives the series a “fresh” score on RT, she laments how the show had potential to be more. Moss writes on RT, “Despite its many enjoyable moments, it’s tough to not imagine what The Lizzie Borden Story could have been if the team had been ready to show Borden as a more flawed, ambiguous individual.”
All eight episodes of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story are new on Netflix.
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