The Menendez Brothers Review

Netflix is on a roll! After premiering “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” they followed up with “The Menendez Brothers".” Ryan Murphy’s series not only gave the older generation a chance to revisit this infamous case, but it also opened the eyes of a new generation of viewers.

It’s been 35 years since Lyle, 21, and Erik Menendez, 18, murdered their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. The young men fired 15 rounds from 12-gauge shotguns into their parents, with Lyle even reloading to finish the job.

Initially, they pretended to know nothing about the murders. However, once it became clear that they were responsible, they admitted to the crime. The big question was, why? Despite being well-off, with their father a successful executive at RCA Records, the brothers revealed that their father had abused and sexually assaulted them from a young age. This abuse continued with Erik until the tragic night their parents were killed.

The documentary, which runs about two hours, gives the brothers a voice to tell their side of the story from jail. They also share details from family, jurors, and other individuals about what happened. At the time, toxic masculinity was just a way of life. The belief was that strapping young men couldn’t be victims like young ladies, which we know is false. Anyone can be a victim, but because of this belief, the boys were judged harshly.

During the retrial, they were not allowed to bring up why they killed their parents. The testimony of their friends and family was also not allowed. Essentially, the boys were judged based on the fact that they killed their parents and the false narrative that they did this for their parents’ money. With only two options, death or life, the jurors blindly chose to give the brothers life.

The brothers were kept apart for 22 years at separate prisons. Erik was kept at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. In 2018, Lyle was moved to the same facility, and they were able to spend time together.

It’s been 30 years, and this story has gotten so much attention that there is now a movement on TikTok to get the men, now ages 53 and 56, freed. New evidence has been presented, including a letter written to a cousin from Erik noting the abuse and victims of Jose Menendez that include members of the Latin band Menudo.

This comes after Gypsy Rose was released, despite having manipulated a man to kill her mother. She is now living her best life and on social media, attempting to make a name for herself. I believe the Menendez Brothers deserve the same justice, and it appears that they are about to get that chance at the end of November. Yes, they are murderers, but was it justified? Did the men fear for their lives? I believe they did. All those years of trauma built up until they snapped.

Today, we hear if the brothers could either get resentenced or a new trial. However, since I don’t believe that the courts will allow a multimillion-dollar court case, they will likely be resentenced to a lesser charge. What does that mean? It means that if the district attorney believes that the men are rehabilitated, the prosecutors can ask the court to resentence the men, giving them less time, and they could walk out as free men after 35 years.  I hear that November 26th or 29th they could have a new hearing but they could be released before then. I can't wait for my virtual boyfriends to be freed.  Yeah! I said it! 

I highly recommend this documentary. For us old-school individuals, it brings up a lot of distant memories and feelings from when this event occurred. For the new school, it brings new life into this case, and I’m here for it. I give this documentary 4 out of 5 acorns.