Netflix's #2 Series Is Getting Mixed Reviews, But Everyone Agrees on Sarah Paulson
By Danielle Long
• Published Sep 22, 2026 • 10:34pm
Courtesy of Netflix
Netflix’s Top 10 list is always fluctuating, but landing in the second spot doesn't necessarily mean a show is winning over everyone. Case in point: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, currently streaming on Netflix, is receiving some less than favorable reactions from critics and viewers alike.
The fourth season of Netflix’s Monster anthology series follows Lizzie Borden (Ella Beatty), who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. The cast includes Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall, Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari, Billie Lourd, and Sarah Paulson.
Despite a talented ensemble cast and promising ingredients for a juicy true-crime drama, the series isn't resonating with audiences. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts a 42% critics score and a 35% audience score. Some reviews are less than complimentary:
"This was so awful," wrote one viewer. "I only rated it more than one star because the acting was slightly better than the story."
"It’s just terrible. Weirdly over the top and sexual," lamented another. "Please stop making this series. It’s bad."
However, there is one aspect that viewers seem to universally agree on: Sarah Paulson delivers a powerful performance. Paulson portrays Aileen Wuornos in the season, and even those who weren't impressed with the overall series had high praise for her:
"The only decent thing about this show is Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos, who, as usual, makes every scene she's in better," shared one viewer on X.
Another agreed, "Just finished the new Monsters season and Sarah Paulson genuinely blew me away. I already knew she was an incredible actress but fucking hell. Might be the best actress of our generation."
If you're intrigued enough to give it a shot or simply want to see Sarah Paulson in action, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is streaming now on Netflix.