Best Shows to Watch After ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’
The modern television landscape has witnessed a remarkable surge in dramatized true crime, with viewers consistently drawn to gruesome historical puzzles and scandalous courtroom battles. Streaming services have turned tragic real-world events into gripping cultural events that dominate weekly viewership charts. The debut of ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ continues this trend, presenting a stylized interpretation of one of the most famous double homicides in American history.
Across recent years, prestige miniseries have increasingly favored psychological character studies over standard police investigations. These ambitious productions often examine how real violence transforms into lasting folklore, blurring the lines between verified fact and artistic license. As television creators delve deeper into human darkness, audiences continue to seek out layered narratives that refuse to offer simple moral resolutions.
For audiences who have concluded all eight episodes of ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’, the desire for similar psychological thrillers begins immediately. Whether you were fascinated by the examination of female repression or drawn to the tension of high-stakes domestic trials, several standout series deliver a comparable edge. From razor-sharp period pieces to iconic true crime installments, these four gripping dramas are the ultimate titles to stream next.
‘The Lizzie Borden Chronicles’
If you want to remain immersed in the lore of Fall River, Massachusetts, ‘The Lizzie Borden Chronicles’ serves as an ideal thematic companion. Originally developed for Lifetime as an eight-episode continuation of the television movie ‘Lizzie Borden Took an Ax’, the limited series imagines Lizzie’s life following her 1893 acquittal. Rather than revisiting the murders of her father and stepmother, the storyline follows the heiress as mysterious deaths begin to pile up around her.
Christina Ricci delivers an electrifying and darkly comedic turn, portraying the acquitted murder suspect as an unabashed antihero in Victorian dress. The show blends gothic atmosphere with rock music cues and heightened violence, leaning into pure pulpy entertainment. It provides a thrillingly campy alternate lens for viewers captivated by the enduring mythology surrounding the Borden household.
‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’
Before turning their lenses to Victorian Massachusetts, co-creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan tackled another sensational domestic tragedy in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’. The nine-episode installment chronicles the 1989 shotgun killings of Jose and Kitty Menendez by their sons inside their Beverly Hills mansion. The narrative explores bitter family dysfunction, media sensationalism, and conflicting testimony regarding allegations of severe physical and psychological abuse.
The series ignited immense cultural debate by highlighting contradictory perspectives from the real-world criminal proceedings. Discussing the intense audience reception, lead star Cooper Koch told Variety that controversy was inevitable, stating, โI knew that this was a very controversial story, and that people were going to be upset and affected by what they were seeing.โ That commitment to exploring uncomfortable gray areas makes it an essential follow-up for anthology fans.
‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’
Subscribers looking to explore the roots of Netflix’s true crime juggernaut should revisit ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’. Anchored by an Emmy-winning performance from Evan Peters, the 10-episode inaugural season depicts the horrific offenses of the Milwaukee serial killer over multiple decades. The production set itself apart by heavily scrutinizing institutional neglect and the systemic failures that repeatedly allowed a predator to avoid arrest.
The drama captured massive global viewership, while also igniting significant industry dialogue surrounding the ethics of adapting real-life trauma. Highlighting the extensive investigative work behind the scripts, creator Ryan Murphy explained in an interview reported by The Hollywood Reporter that his researchers contacted around 20 loved ones of the victims, noting, โand not a single person responded to us in that process.โ The finished series remains a somber and chilling examination of violence and consequence.
‘Love & Death’
Shifting the setting to suburban Texas in the late 1970s and 1980, ‘Love & Death’ delivers another riveting look at an infamous axe slaying. Written by David E. Kelley, the seven-episode miniseries stars Elizabeth Olsen as Candy Montgomery, an active church member whose extramarital affair leads to unimaginable domestic brutality. The show examines how quiet resentment and social expectations can bubble beneath a seemingly tranquil community until they rupture.
Olsen commands every scene with an extraordinary performance that balances suburban charm with terrifying emotional collapse. Backed by excellent supporting work from Jesse Plemons and Lily Rabe, the drama crafts unbearable tension before shifting into an absorbing courtroom showdown. For fans who appreciated the exploration of domestic entrapment in Fall River, this limited series offers a grounded yet equally harrowing portrait of violence.
Which of these gripping true crime shows will you be watching next, and how do you feel ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ compares to previous installments?
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