Netflix’s true crime horror soars to number 1 despite being labelled ‘ridiculous’

The latest addition to the Monster cinematic universe on Netflix is the grisly story of Lizzie Borden. 

Perhaps you’re not up to date on your true crime: Borden was accused of killing her father and stepmother with an axe in 1892, then later acquitted. 

That poses something of a quandary for a series that typically trades in convicted killers (Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein have all been the stars of their own seasons).

But this is Ryan Murphy! His speciality is fact-based fiction – typically of the highly sensational variety.

So Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, as it is very snappily called, has landed on Netflix this week and shot straight to the tippy top of the 10 most-watched TV shows.

The eight episodes show Borden growing up in Fall River, Massachusetts, with her parents – here played by Charlie Hunnam, of last season’s stardom, and Rebecca Hall, of the Murphy atrocity that was The Beauty.

The eight-part show tries on various lurid theories about their killings – including that Borden, here played by Ella Beatty, inspired the infamous Aileen Wuornos, played by Murphy fav Sarah Paulson, many years later. 

Perhaps because it’s the furthest the Monster series has reached into history, a touch more creative license has been deployed.

Except, the show has been roundly knocked by TV critics and viewers alike. The season currently holds a 50 per cent critical score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Even more damning is the significantly lower audience score of 27 per cent, where viewers have labelled the show ‘by far the worst thing they ever watched’, with some ‘ridiculous’ scenes.

Isobel S said it was the worst season of the Monster series yet, adding: ‘None of it makes sense. Such a fabricated story. By far the worst, which is a huge shame as I am such a massive fan of this series. Absolutely awful if I’m honest.’

‘Can we stop trying to romanticise murderers?’ Emily asked in her Rotten Tomatoes review. ‘This was a predictable snooze fest wrapped in bad wigs, bad acting and a completely false narrative.’

Another review from Aubrey Jackson said the season ‘lost the plot’, noting it was ‘overly sexualized for no reason’.

But not all the comments were dismal, with Rose T writing: ‘Honestly I loved the show. 

‘Some scenes were goofy like the puke scene. They really pushed the lesbian girl boss thing, kinda over the top at some times. Definitely give it a watch.’

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is available to stream on Netflix.