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Three college girls look into a film every week and give feedback.
Hello, and welcome to today's episode of Binge Buddies, where we break down the latest movies and TV series. We're your hosts.
Ellen McCoy:I'm Ellen McCoy.
Michelle Peribanez:I'm Michelle Peribanez.
Chloe Kuntz:And I'm Chloe Kuntz. And today, we'll be speaking about the new famous Netflix series, Monsters, the Lyle and Eric Menendez story.
Official Trailer:I'm gonna need you to walk me through what happened. Part of this process is the 2 of you reconnecting, growing closer as brothers. Eric and I killed our parents together, so I'd say that makes us pretty close.
Ellen McCoy:The Lyle and Eric Menendez story is a crime drama television show that dramatizes the infamous case of Lyle and Eric Menendez, 2 brothers who were convicted of murdering their wealthy parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. Jose and Kitty were shot 6 and 10 times respectively in their home in August of 1989. Initially, Eric and Lyle told police they'd been out of the house when the murders occurred, but later Eric confessed the killing to a psychologist whose mistress told police about the brothers' involvement. The show, based on real life events, explores the complex psychological and emotional motivations behind the brothers' actions as well as the media circus and public spectacle that surrounded their trial.
Chloe Kuntz:There is a trigger warning abuse that comes with the show as the series delves into the brothers' troubled upbringing, including the allegations of sexual abuse by their father and examines the controversial nature of their defense, which claimed the murders were a result of years of abuse and trauma. The Menendez brothers case captivated the American public during the early 19 nineties with the televised trial becoming a significant media event.
Michelle Peribanez:The trial sparked debates on whether the brothers were victims or cold blooded murderers, and it highlighted the complex intersections of celebrity crime and the legal system in the United States. The show's release reignited interest in the case, drawing attention to the psychological and emotional factors that influenced the brother's actions. So what were your guys' first impressions?
Chloe Kuntz:I think that the show definitely caused issues for the case as it was just, it was all about the drama, not really about the facts, which definitely made the brothers mad, I know. And this producer has received backlash before as he is definitely someone who's into, like, legal cases, and he doesn't necessarily portray them in the way he likes to turn it into almost, like, a drama show, which can definitely cause issues. But it did help bring awareness to the case as the documentary then came out, like, I would say 2 weeks after it came out. Yeah. And the documentary was approved by the brothers, and it definitely had all of the all the facts that you needed after watching the show.
Michelle Peribanez:Yeah. I think they definitely could have taken away more respectful route into delving into the brothers and their story. I think if you're trying to learn about the case, this probably wouldn't be the show for you. The portrayal of the brothers weren't the most accurate. However, the acting and the film itself is really, really good.
Chloe Kuntz:Yeah. So going into the story itself, the show itself with the narrative structure, there was a lot of nonlinear storytelling, which was interesting as a show. There was a dual timeline, which went through the events with the murders and the brother trials kinda going back and forth with that. And with that, there was a lot of courtroom drama, and there was a lot of, like, psychological buildup.
Ellen McCoy:Yeah. I think a lot of it was just, like, the I don't know, like, what's gonna happen next because it was nonlinear and, like, all the courtroom stuff. And then it just kinda went very back and forth in some parts, and it was kinda confusing to kinda figure out.
Michelle Peribanez:I will say, I think they did a really good job at focusing on the emotional and psychological trauma that the brothers did have. Although their characters weren't portrayed in the most respectful way, they did focus on abuse and the psychological state that the brothers were in. And I do think they did a pretty good job at that, especially the scenes where they're talking about troubled past in the courtroom testimonies. Those were really good.
Ellen McCoy:Yeah. I think, they really brought awareness to, like, the abuse and stuff because, like, that wasn't really talked about whenever it happened. And so I think that was definitely a big focus in the show to, like, bring awareness to people who have had that happen to them.
Chloe Kuntz:I agree. Especially whenever it comes to men getting abused, that was one of the main things with this case. And that's why the actual case wasn't taken that seriously, even though it's not really necessarily portrayed that much in the show. But with the actual documentary, it was kind of one of those things where it was like, well, men can't get sexually abused. Men but if they're getting hurt, they can just fight back. Like, there's no way that this could happen to them.
Ellen McCoy:Yeah. For sure.
Michelle Peribanez:I think that's why, they decided to reopen the case because it did like, the show was very gruesome, and it had a lot of details about trigger warning sexual abuse. And it was very, very detailed. And I don't think back then in the 19 nineties when they were talking about this case, it was kinda brushed off. A lot of the people thought that they were lying about it, and I think the show kind of it it was very shocking.
Chloe Kuntz:Going into about the actual characters themselves, Lyle Menendez was played by Nicholas Chavez, who is getting a lot of attention now, I've noticed, throughout the media. And as much as his character in the show was he was definitely strong headed. He had a lot of emotion that was very negative. I mean, he was lashing out on everyone. It wasn't an accurate depiction of who Lyle Hernandez is in person as it has been debunked that Lyle Hernandez was actually getting bullied whenever it came to prison, and he wasn't the strong headed that was portrayed in the show.
Ellen McCoy:I think it's, like, weird. Like, why would they portray him as that?
Michelle Peribanez:I think for entertainment purposes Yeah. 100%. His character was very entertaining in the show.
Ellen McCoy:He was, like, the ultimate crash out for sure.
Michelle Peribanez:No. Yep. And I think they definitely did that on purpose. I don't think they had much sympathy for Lyle in comparison to Eric. Yes. I think the show had a lot of sympathy for him and portrayed him as very fragile.
Chloe Kuntz:Eric was played by Cooper Koch, if I'm saying that right, and he was definitely more vulnerable. And he actually did have a very important role as he was the one who went and told the therapist, which did happen in real life. But it was almost portrayed that he kind of just crashed out out of nowhere in the show when in reality, he was upset the entire time. Speaking of that, I think that it's important for us to go into the theories that were involved and the controversies that were involved in the show. Starting off that in the very beginning of the show, they play a song that is played during the funeral, which actually didn't happen in real life. It is the song Girl, I'm gonna miss you, and it was never actually used.
Michelle Peribanez:Another big theory is that the brothers had an incestuous relationship. It was just unnecessary to the story.
Ellen McCoy:Yeah.
Michelle Peribanez:And those were debunked. The brothers never had an incestuous relationship.
Chloe Kuntz:Mhmm. So as we wrap up, would you guys recommend people to watch this, Do you think?
Michelle Peribanez:I think do your own research. And then after you do that, definitely watch the show. It is very entertaining. They do talk about really difficult things in the show that, again, like what a lot of audiences said, like it brought them a lot of peace and they were able to relate to it. However, the case itself, do your own research on that.
Ellen McCoy:I agree. Definitely do some research, but I I think it's a good watch. Like, I enjoyed watching it, so I would recommend it, but I think it's good to have, like, your own kind of knowledge going into it so you know what's real and what wasn't.
Chloe Kuntz:For legal expertise, we have Alyson Rosell joining us to give her opinion as she studies pre law. Thank you, Allison, for being here today.
Alyson Rosell:Of course. Thank you for having me.
Chloe Kuntz:Do you believe the show and the media behind it has a negative impact on the actual legal case?
Alyson Rosell:Honestly, no. The probational court understands that the media around this series and the show itself doesn't depict the actual facts of the case. There has to be evidence that backs up everything, not just rumors and theories and lies in the court.
Chloe Kuntz:Thanks for your opinion. That's important for people to know, especially whenever it comes to just the general public viewing this. If you've been interested in this story, please tune in next week as we go and dive into a new episode.
Michelle Peribanez:Yes. Please tune in and make sure to reach out and let us know which next famous TV series or movie you would like us to review.
Chloe Kuntz:Yeah. We will look forward to being with you guys next week. If you wanna tune in to any of our social medias, it is just Binge Buddies on all of our platforms where you can find out more information there.