The Monster franchise is turning its attention to one of America’s most infamous murder cases, and this time, a woman is at the center of the story.
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are back with Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth installment of the Netflix anthology series. The new season explores the case of Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts woman who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden.
This isn’t exactly a story about monsters in the supernatural sense. The franchise takes its name from the people at the center of its true-crime stories, examining the circumstances and psychology surrounding infamous crimes.
This time, Ella Beatty takes on the role of Lizzie, bringing the franchise its first female central figure.
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Why Do Women Kill?
Beatty says one of the things that drew her to the role was the show’s interest in exploring the psychology behind female violence.
“I also knew from the beginning that Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan were really interested in exploring the reasons why women kill, specifically,” she says. “Every season of Monster has been an exercise in understanding the person’s psychology. Are they born or are they made?”
That question appears to be at the heart of the new season as the series revisits a case that has remained the subject of fascination for more than a century.
Brennan was also apparently convinced that Beatty was the right person to play Lizzie almost immediately.
“We cast a super wide net and nobody could do it until we saw her,” he says. “They say you can tell within the first five seconds if the actor has the role, and that was completely the case here, after watching very good actresses try.”
READ: Do you remember watching Charlie Hunnam in the original run of ‘Queer as Folk’
Joey Pollari and Charlie Hunnam Are Back
For queer viewers, there are a couple of familiar faces to look forward to.
Ella Beatty and Charlie Hunnam star as Lizzie and Andrew Borden in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.
Now on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/YdFjhoxu4y
— Netflix (@netflix) September 17, 2026
Queer as Folk star Charlie Hunnam returns to the Monster universe after portraying serial killer Ed Gein in the third season, Monster: The Ed Gein Story. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination. This time, Hunnam takes on the role of Andrew Borden, Lizzie’s father.
Also returning is out actor Joey Pollari, best known for Love, Simon. Pollari has become a familiar face in Murphy’s projects and previously appeared in The Beauty and Monster: The Ed Gein Story. In the new season, he plays John Morse, Lizzie’s maternal uncle, who was staying at the Borden family home and became a murder suspect.
With a new central character and two familiar faces from previous seasons, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is taking the anthology somewhere new while keeping its focus on the psychology behind notorious crimes.
All episodes of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story are now available to watch on Netflix.