Netflix’s Monster: Lizzie Borden Story Lands September 17 With Ella Beatty

Netflix released Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on September 17, 2026, bringing Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology to its first female subject. Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden, the woman accused but acquitted of murdering her father Andrew and stepmother Abby with a hatchet in Fall River, Massachusetts on August 4, 1892. The eight-part series explores the psychological motivations behind the unsolved killings that still captivate audiences 134 years later.

The 1892 murders that inspired the series

On August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden, 70, and his wife Abby, 64, were found bludgeoned to death with a hatchet in their Fall River home. Lizzie, Andrew’s 32-year-old daughter, was at home at the time and became the prime suspect. Despite overwhelming evidence, an all-male jury acquitted her after deliberating just over an hour in 1893. The case remains one of America’s most infamous unsolved mysteries, immortalised in the nursery rhyme: “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks.”

How Netflix dramatises the mystery

The series reimagines Lizzie’s life as a young heiress confined by Victorian restrictions. When a new housekeeper arrives, Bridget Sullivan, played by Vicky Krieps, she sweeps Lizzie into a forbidden relationship that leads to the murders. Beatty told Netflix that the show explores “a legacy of female rage and reaction to the set of circumstances that they are presented with.” The series connects Lizzie’s story to Aileen Wuornos, a sex worker and serial killer from the 1980s, played by Sarah Paulson, to examine why women kill across different eras.

First female killer in the Monster anthology

This season marks a departure for the anthology, which previously focused on male killers: Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein. Creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan have stated their aim is to explore whether monsters are made or born. Beatty said: “Every season of Monster has been an exercise in understanding the person’s psychology.” The shift to a female subject allows the series to examine gender dynamics and societal constraints specific to women in the 1890s.

Australian release and viewer access

In Australia, all eight episodes became available on Netflix at approximately 5pm AEST on September 17, 2026. The series is part of Netflix‘s continued investment in true-crime content, a genre that continues to draw strong viewership. The Lizzie Borden house in Fall River now operates as a bed-and-breakfast museum, allowing visitors to explore the crime scene where the murders occurred.

Final Thoughts

Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story delivers the anthology’s first female-centred narrative, using the unsolved 1892 murders to explore gender, confinement, and rage in Victorian America. For NFLX investors, the series reflects the streamer’s ongoing bet on true-crime drama as a reliable content draw.

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