'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story' Review: Wildly Entertaining
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Variety
Netflix’s ‘Monster’ Finally Delivers an Outrageously Engaging Season With ‘The Lizzie Borden Story’: TV Review
By Aramide Tinubu
September 17, 2026, 8:30 AM PT
BritBox’s modern adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence stumbles before finding steady ground, while TNT’s Iraq War drama High Value Target: The Hunt for Saddam is dull and deeply disturbing. But Netflix’s Monster, in its fourth installment, The Lizzie Borden Story, finally delivers an outrageously engaging season.
Set in Fall River, Massachusetts, in the late 19th century, the show centers on Lizzie Borden (a compelling Ella Beatty), a young woman plagued by a cruel stepmother (Rebecca Hall), a detached father (Charlie Hunnam), and excruciating menstrual cycles. Her world takes a turn when she befriends the family’s new housemaid, Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps). This friendship paves the way for Lizzie to embark on a bloody path that will forever be etched in history.
The eight-episode series opens with an enchanting scene: a ruby red curtain, an ornate piano, and a touch of whimsy. Lizzie walks down the stairs barefoot in her white nightgown, navigating the house until she reaches her father’s ax cupboard. Meanwhile, Mrs. Borden frantically tidies up Lizzie’s messy bed. Before she can stand again, Lizzie charges through the door with an axe, hacking away at her stepmother. Soon after, Andrew joins her, and both meet their demise on a fainting couch in the sitting room, surrounded by bloodstains.
Though the Bordens met their end on August 4, 1892, The Lizzie Borden Story flashes back to four months earlier. In April, Lizzie’s heavy periods and peculiar behavior have once again scared off a suitor. With no prospects in sight and her sister Emma living independently, Lizzie finds solace in the cherry trees or her dovecote among her beloved birds. But her world expands when Mrs. Borden hires Bridget as a maid. This new friend introduces Lizzie to Paris, herbal remedies, and Mrs. Borden’s unattainable cleaning standards—all while fostering a bond that emboldens Lizzie to plot against her oppressors.