Trapped in a cruel Victorian-era household, Lizzie Borden kills her parents in a gory ax murder that shocks the nation.
Next episode: S1 E1 Episode 1 (Sep 17, 2026)
When the repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family and her rebellious maid find themselves trapped in a house built on humiliation and cruelty, they escape into a fantasy of sex, power, and revenge. The gruesome unsolved murders that follow don't just shock the world — they give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage, choosing instead to forge her own legend: shocking, monstrous, and gloriously free.
I’ve always been drawn to stories about women who refuse to play the part. Not the rebellious heroines of modern myth—those are easy—but the ones who sit quietly in the parlor, sipping tea, while the world around them rots. Lizzie Borden is one of those women.
Or, depending on who you ask, she’s the one holding the axe. Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story doesn’t just revisit the infamous 1892 murders; it lingers in the space between accusation and acquittal, where the most dangerous thing a woman can be is unknowable.
That unknowability is the show’s most interesting gambit. The first teaser—all blood-spattered corsets and slow zooms on Ella Beatty’s face—doesn’t just promise a crime drama. It promises a psychological unraveling, one that’s as much about the act of looking as it is about the act of killing.
(Or not killing. We still don’t know.) The camera lingers on Beatty’s eyes, wide and unblinking, as if daring us to find the monster in them. It’s a familiar trick, but an effective one: we’re so used to equating female opacity with guilt that even the suggestion of it feels like a provocation.
The real Lizzie Borden was acquitted, of course. The jury took less than an hour to decide she couldn’t have swung that axe—not because the evidence was flimsy, but because the idea of a proper Victorian woman committing such a crime was unthinkable. The show seems to understand this paradox at its core.
The first-look images lean into the gothic, all gaslight and lace, but there’s something unsettlingly modern in the way Beatty’s Lizzie is framed. She’s not just a woman in a murder mystery; she’s a woman in a trial, and the trial isn’t just about the murders. It’s about what we’re willing to believe about women who don’t perform the roles we’ve assigned them.
Netflix is pulling back the curtain on Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, its upcoming limited series reimagining the infamous 1892 axe murders that shocked America. The first teaser and poster drops have arrived, offering a glimpse of the star-studded, gory drama set to premiere in 2026—and early signs suggest Ryan Murphy’s signature blend of horror and camp is firmly in play.
The series, which marks Ella Beatty’s first major lead role, has been shrouded in secrecy—until now. The first-look images and teaser [1][3][5][6][7][8] reveal a visually striking, period-accurate nightmare, with Beatty’s Lizzie Borden drenched in blood, an axe looming in the shadows. The aesthetic leans into gothic horror, with muted tones and eerie lighting that amplify the tension of the real-life case.
Beatty is joined by a powerhouse ensemble: Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy), Rebecca Hall (The Night House), Billie Lourd (American Horror Story), and Jessica Barden (*The End of the F***ing World*). While their roles remain unconfirmed, Krieps and Hall are rumored to play key figures in Lizzie’s life—possibly her stepmother, Abby Borden, or her sister, Emma [6]. Hunnam’s casting suggests a male lead, potentially Lizzie’s father, Andrew Borden, whose brutal murder became the centerpiece of the trial.
Though the series’ creator and director haven’t been officially named, multiple sources confirm Ryan Murphy is heavily involved behind the scenes [6]. Murphy, known for his anthology series American Horror Story and true-crime hits like Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, has a knack for blending fact and fiction with a sensationalist edge. Given the Borden case’s notoriety—Lizzie was acquitted but remains a pop-culture villain—Murphy’s touch could mean a mix of courtroom drama, psychological horror, and feminist revisionism.
The teaser [4][7][9] hints at this approach, with quick cuts of Beatty’s Lizzie staring blankly at the camera, interspersed with flashes of violence. The tagline, "The truth is never what it seems," suggests a narrative that plays with perspective, possibly exploring Lizzie’s innocence or guilt through a modern lens. The series is classified as a biopic, thriller, and drama 
, leaving room for both historical accuracy and creative liberties.
Netflix has confirmed Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story for a 2026 release [5][6], though no specific premiere date has been announced. The first-look materials—including posters and teasers—indicate the show is deep in production, with filming likely wrapped or nearing completion.
Fans can expect more trailers in the coming months, but for now, the project remains a tantalizing mystery. Will it lean into the sensationalism of the trial, or will it humanize Lizzie, a woman whose name became synonymous with murder? With Murphy at the helm and this cast, the series is poised to be one of Netflix’s most talked-about releases of 2026.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
Series
Related series ranked by rating and popularity.
