The True Story Behind Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story
Netflix scheduled the September 17 premiere of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth installment of the biographical crime drama anthology created by Ian Brennan, bringing the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, into the prestige television spotlight as the franchise’s first season centered on an alleged female perpetrator.
The True History Behind the Fall River Murders
Upon his return, Andrew Borden was struck in the head multiple times with a sharp instrument while resting on a couch. Upstairs, investigators discovered Abby Borden’s body in a bloody state, determining her death occurred approximately an hour before her husband’s.
Lizzie Borden had allegedly tried to purchase a poisonous substance on August 3, and officials stated she burned a dress in a stove days after the killings. Arrested and tried for both murders in June 1893, Lizzie Borden was ultimately acquitted by a jury. Despite the verdict, the case remained officially unsolved, spawning a famous nursery rhyme and inspiring decades of cultural fascination, including Agnes De Mille’s 1948 ballet Fall River Legend and Jack Beeson’s 1965 opera.
Cast Lineup and Character Dynamics in the Netflix Series
The upcoming Netflix drama casts Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden, marking the actor’s prominent role as the lead of the anthology. The ensemble features Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden, Rebecca Hall as stepmother Abby Borden, Billie Lourd as Lizzie’s sister Emma Borden, and Vicky Krieps as live-in maid Bridget Sullivan. The cast also features Sarah Paulson making an appearance as Aileen Wuornos, weaving multiple historical figures into the narrative framework.
The official synopsis describes the series as a psychological exploration of a repressed young woman suffocated by familial expectations, trapped alongside a rebellious maid in a home built on cruelty.
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