Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Hits Netflix September 17

Monster The Lizzie Borden Story Netflix September 2026

The Monster anthology is back for its darkest chapter yet. Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are turning their Netflix true-crime series to one of America’s most infamous women: Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted of the brutal 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premieres September 17, 2026 on Netflix.

A Star-Studded Cast Tackles the Legend

Ella Beatty takes the lead as Lizzie Borden, navigating the oppressive home life and the suffocating social expectations that surrounded the young woman before and after the killings. She is joined by Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden (Lizzie’s father), Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, and Vicky Krieps as Maggie, the family maid whose complex relationship with Lizzie becomes a key emotional thread.

Adding more firepower to the ensemble, Billie Lourd plays Lizzie’s sister Emma Borden, and Sarah Paulson appears as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in what sounds like a wild thematic detour exploring women and violence across different eras of American history. This is the first Monster installment centered entirely on a woman, following previous seasons about Jeffrey Dahmer (starring Evan Peters), the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein.

For Ryan Murphy fans, this is familiar territory. Murphy has produced or created a massive catalog spanning Glee, American Horror Story, The Politician, and the first three Monster seasons on Netflix. His signature style of blending sensationalism with emotional depth should be a natural fit for the Borden case, which has fascinated the public for over 130 years.

Why This Season Could Break the Internet

The Borden case is one of the most retold murder stories in American culture. From the children’s rhyme (“Lizzie Borden took an axe...”) to the 1975 film The Legend of Lizzie Borden starring Elizabeth Montgomery and the 2018 Lifetime movie with Cassidy Gifford, Lizzie Borden has never really left the public consciousness. Netflix’s version promises to dig deeper into the heavily fictionalized inner life of Lizzie, exploring family power dynamics, class tensions in Victorian America, and the question that still divides true-crime enthusiasts: did she actually do it?

The broader Monster franchise has been a ratings juggernaut for Netflix. The Dahmer season drew massive viewership despite (or because of) controversy, and subsequent seasons continued to perform well. With a fresh cast and a new subject, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story could be the streaming event of the fall. Other September Netflix highlights like The Gentlemen Season 2 (September 3), Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Season 2, and the Call the Midwife Season 15 release (September 7) are giving the platform a stacked lineup, but the Lizzie Borden season might just steal the spotlight.

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story hits Netflix on September 17, 2026. Mark your calendars — this is one true-crime drama you don’t want to miss.