Netflix's Menendez brothers Obsession: documentary Tops Charts After "Monster" Season 2!
Netflix Scores Big With Menendez Brothers Documentary
Netflix is totally killing it with true crime! Fresh off the success of Ryan Murphy's Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (season 2), another Menendez brothers docuseries is dominating the global charts. That new doc, The Menendez Brothers, directed by Alejandro Hartmann, topped Netflix's global top 10 films (English) list for the week of October 7-13, racking up 22.7 million views and 44.7 million hours viewed! That beat out even The Predator (2018) and that new Netflix original movie, Lonely Planet.
The timing? Seriously perfect! It capitalized on the attention "Monster" generated. "Monster," which hit Netflix on September 19th, presented a dramatized version, sparking debate and controversy almost immediately (and continues to do so!). The new doc takes a different angle and includes audio interviews with Lyle and Erik Menendez for the first time in nearly 30 years. That's huge and really captures the intrigue. The story is already iconic because of "Monster" — but having the actual brothers themselves talk provides another narrative; adding several other critical viewpoints from key figures (family members, lawyers, jurors, and lead prosecutor Pamela Bozanich). It makes this latest release from Netflix a much more exciting, must-see viewing experience!
Why You Should Watch The Menendez Brothers Documentary
"Monster" became number one worldwide – yet reviews are mixed, often criticizing those aspects considered to be inaccurate and the depiction of Lyle and Erik as being "incestuous and homoerotic." Erik himself called it out as a “totally false portrayal of Lyle.” The Netflix documentary has a vastly different approach, promising a story “from their own words”, creating a story arc presented through several points and that added complexity truly makes a major difference; yet many sources criticized this specific storytelling format because they believed it lacked a larger critical voice.
This is obviously not something easily replicated from a straightforward dramatized storytelling perspective and the narrative remains more compelling because the writers were actually making a conscious effort to not frame the entire narrative from the perspective of the actual murderers themselves and even though those same events are portrayed very differently; creating another view that might've otherwise been entirely missed out otherwise, given that very dramatic, sensational presentation which completely impacted the audience who engaged with it and continues to do so!
Netflix's Smart Strategy: Capitalizing on True Crime Buzz
The Menendez Brothers documentary’s success isn't some random event! Netflix's strategy is seriously slick. Releasing this doc quickly after "Monster" created hype, perfectly capitalizing on "Monster’s" existing momentum. And then the documentary release came together with a related podcast; another move that generates ongoing and continuing discussions around this topic. It not only gave audiences a new perspective on that tragic and already memorable storyline, it offered something unique and engaging to an already large audience. It highlights that using previously created stories for creating even larger follow ups are quite feasible, not merely random actions and events without connection, it highlights those key synergies that actually create some value!
Conclusion: True Crime's Reign Continues on Netflix
True crime continues its impressive domination across those popular streaming platforms. That Menendez Brothers documentary's success shows the power of timely content, creating multiple storytelling layers with each separate piece— a documentary following a dramatized version — making it clear how these aspects contribute to creating hype and attracting new audiences; creating engagement for even this older true-crime storyline that never gets old! And Netflix played it smartly; creating more engagement around this topic, not simply by chance; generating far greater revenue.
