Monster: Lizzie Borden Cast Reveals Who They Think Did It

The cast and crew of Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story have finally given their verdict on the case at the heart of the show. After the series became Netflix’s biggest streaming hit of September 2026 — pulling in 12.1 million views and 80.1 million hours watched in its first week — showrunner Ian Brennan said plainly of Lizzie Borden: “she definitely did it. Like, of course she did it.” Star Ella Beatty, meanwhile, calls the season “a painting” of the story, “not a documentary.”

What is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story about?

The eight-episode season is the fourth chapter of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monster anthology, following Dahmer (2022), The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, and The Ed Gein Story (2025). It premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2026, and centers on the 1892 Fall River, Massachusetts murders of Andrew Borden and his wife Abby — and the trial of 32-year-old Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted in 1893. No one else has ever been charged, making it one of America’s most enduring unsolved mysteries.

Ella Beatty plays Lizzie, with Charlie Hunnam as her father Andrew, Vicky Krieps as the family maid Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, Billie Lourd as Lizzie’s sister Emma, Sarah Paulson, Rebecca Hall, and Jessica Barden in supporting roles. Max Winkler and Sarah Adina Smith directed the season.

How big of a hit is it on Netflix?

Per Netflix’s Tudum rankings cited by MovieWeb, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story topped the global Top 10 Shows chart for the week of September 14–20 with 12.1 million views — ahead of Crew Girl (11.3M) and The Gentlemen season 2 (6M). All eight episodes dropped on September 17, meaning the show hit number one with just days of availability. The 80.1 million hours watched made it the biggest series debut on streaming that week.

The success is a familiar pattern for the franchise: Dahmer became a runaway hit in 2022, the Menendez season drew heavy controversy, and Hunnam’s portrayal of Ed Gein became an internet meme. Murphy and Brennan have said the anthology could run for at least ten seasons, with figures such as Dennis Rader, Gary Ridgway, and Ted Bundy floated as possible future subjects. Netflix has not yet officially renewed the series beyond this season.

What did the cast and crew say about whether Lizzie was guilty?

The question everyone asks — did she do it? — has now been answered personally by the people who spent months filming the case. In an interview published October 2, 2026, the principal cast and showrunner each gave their take:

Ian Brennan, showrunner: Blunt and direct. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Brennan said, “At a certain point, you just have to pick [if she was guilty or not]. You do as much research as you can, and then you’re like, ‘Okay, what do I think about it?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, she definitely did it. Like, of course she did it.’”

Charlie Hunnam (Andrew Borden): In conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Hunnam said, “If she did indeed commit this crime, it was never proved. She was exonerated in court, although all of the evidence does suggest that she probably was responsible.” He described the crime as a “much more understandable crime of passion” born of an “incredibly oppressive household,” with a father who ruled “in a cold, iron-fisted, miserly way.”

Ella Beatty (Lizzie Borden): The most careful of the three. Speaking with Celestial Sylvia, Beatty declined to take a stance: “I have my feelings, I have my thoughts. But I didn’t feel like it was my job to take a stance on it. The show certainly posits a stance.” She added that the season is “a painting” of the story, “not a documentary,” emphasizing that she used “a vivid imagination” to build the character — a quiet signal that viewers shouldn’t treat the dramatized scenes as established fact.

What does the show get wrong about the real history?

Entertainment Weekly catalogued 11 details the series departs from, and the list is long. Like earlier Monster seasons, the show takes “considerable liberties with the historical record,” weaving in rumors and legends that surrounded the case:

• No evidence the maid Bridget Sullivan had an affair with Lizzie, or with Andrew Borden — yet the show portrays both, including a pregnancy.
• Andrew Borden’s death was far quicker in reality; trial testimony described no prolonged struggle, and the sitting room showed no signs of disturbance.
• Lizzie never gave a victory speech on the courthouse steps. She shook each juror’s hand and, per reporting, “said very little to most of the reporters.”
• The Aileen Wuornos visit to the Borden house (featuring Sarah Paulson) is entirely fictional — and the house didn’t operate as a bed-and-breakfast until 1996.
• Lizzie didn’t meet actress Nance O’Neil (Jessica Barden) until 1904, more than a decade after the acquittal — so O’Neil could not have coached her courtroom behavior.

The show’s defenders, including Brennan, frame these choices as deliberate dramatization rather than documentary. But the EW breakdown underscores why Beatty’s “painting, not a documentary” framing matters: the real trial record — Lizzie acquitted after one of the most watched trials of the 19th century — remains far stranger and more unresolved than the television version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I watch Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story?
All eight episodes are streaming exclusively on Netflix now, after premiering September 17, 2026.

Was Lizzie Borden really guilty?
Lizzie Borden was acquitted in 1893, and no one else was ever charged. The cast is split in tone but leans guilty: showrunner Ian Brennan says “she definitely did it,” Charlie Hunnam says the evidence suggests she was “probably responsible,” while Ella Beatty declines to take a stance, calling the show a “painting,” not a documentary.

Who plays Lizzie Borden in the Netflix series?
Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden. Charlie Hunnam plays her father Andrew, Vicky Krieps plays maid Bridget Sullivan, Billie Lourd plays sister Emma, and Jessica Barden plays Nance O’Neil.

Will there be another season of Monster?
Netflix has not officially renewed the anthology. Creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan have said it could run for at least ten seasons, mentioning Dennis Rader, Gary Ridgway, and Ted Bundy as figures they might explore.

Sources

1. The Tab — “Monster cast and crew on whether Lizzie Borden was guilty” (October 2, 2026)
2. MovieWeb — “Netflix Finds Monster Hit With Violent New Series That’s Already the Biggest Show on Streaming” (September 23, 2026)
3. Entertainment Weekly — “11 details ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ gets wrong — and the real history behind them”

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