Everything You Need To Know About Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are bringing their hit Monster anthology back with its most anticipated chapter yet. This time, the true-crime series is turning its attention to one of America’s most infamous murder mysteries, with Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premiering exclusively on Netflix on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The fourth instalment marks a major first for the anthology, centring on its first female “monster.” Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts woman who was accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in 1892 before being sensationally acquitted. More than 130 years later, the case remains one of the most debated crimes in American history, inspiring countless books, films, television series and the enduring rhyme, “Lizzie Borden took an axe…”

Following the enormous success of DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story and Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the newest season promises another stylized and psychologically complex look at one of history’s most notorious figures. Here’s everything you need to know.

When does Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premiere?

All eight episodes of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story begin streaming on Netflix on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

What is the series about?

The latest season dramatizes the infamous 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. Lizzie Borden was charged with killing her father and stepmother, but was ultimately acquitted after one of the most closely watched murder trials of the 19th century. Despite the verdict, public fascination with the case has never faded.

Rather than presenting a straightforward historical retelling, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s series explores the mythology surrounding Borden while examining themes of repression, gender, sexuality and power. Like previous Monster seasons, the series blends documented events with dramatized and fictionalized elements to explore how infamous killers become larger-than-life cultural figures.

Netflix’s official logline reads:

“When the repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family and her rebellious maid find themselves trapped in a house built on humiliation and cruelty, they escape into a fantasy of sex, power and revenge. The gruesome unsolved murders that follow don’t just shock the world — they give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage, choosing instead to forge her own legend: shocking, monstrous and gloriously free.”

Who stars in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story?

Leading the cast is Ella Beatty, daughter of actors Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, in her first major television starring role as Lizzie Borden. She is joined by an acclaimed ensemble that includes: Charlie Hunnam (as Andrew Borden, Lizzie’s father); Rebecca Hall (as Abby Borden, Lizzie’s stepmother); Vicky Krieps (as Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, the Borden family’s live-in maid); Billie Lourd (as Emma Borden, Lizzie’s older sister); and Jessica Barden (as actress Nance O’Neil). Joey Pollari, and Sarah Paulson round out the cast.

How does it fit into the Monster franchise?

Since debuting in 2022, Monster has become one of Netflix’s biggest anthology franchises. The first season, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, became a global phenomenon and earned multiple Emmy Awards, while the Menendez brothers season followed with widespread acclaim and strong viewership. The third instalment shifted its focus to Ed Gein, whose crimes inspired classic horror films including Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs.

The Lizzie Borden Story represents the franchise’s first exploration of a female historical figure, with Murphy framing the season through a gothic, psychological lens that examines how Borden transformed from murder suspect into enduring American legend.

Who is behind the scenes?

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story was created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy, who continue as the creative team behind the anthology. Murphy and Brennan also serve as executive producers alongside Max Winkler, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Louise Shore, Nissa Diederich, Todd Kubrak, Carl Franklin and Tanase Popa.

Max Winkler and Sarah Adina Smith direct the eight-episode season.

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