Netflix is revisiting one of America’s most debated murder cases in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. Ella Beatty leads the fourth season as Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her father and stepmother in 1892.
The case has inspired books, films and television dramas for more than a century, but one fact often gets lost: a jury acquitted Lizzie in 1893, and the murders remain officially unsolved. Netflix’s new series presents a dramatized interpretation of that mystery rather than a definitive account of what happened.
Based on its
official trailer, the season appears to combine historical true crime with
psychological horror and family drama.
When Is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Coming to Netflix?
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story will premiere on Netflix on September 17, 2026.
Netflix released a trailer for the new season in August 2026, giving viewers their first extended look at Ella Beatty’s performance as Lizzie. The footage presents a dark Victorian household shaped by control, humiliation, anger and violence.
The series carries a TV-MA rating, meaning it is intended for mature audiences. Viewers can expect disturbing themes, violent imagery and a dramatized exploration of a real murder case.
What Stood Out in the Trailer
One of the most interesting parts of the trailer is its focus on Lizzie’s emotional confinement rather than presenting the story only as a murder mystery. The Victorian setting, tense family relationships and brief appearance of Sarah Paulson suggest that the season may examine how society creates and remembers female “monsters.”
What Is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story About?
The series centers on Lizzie Borden, the daughter of a wealthy New England businessman. According to Netflix’s official description, Lizzie lives in a restrictive household with her father, stepmother and older sister.
The story also focuses on Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, the family’s live-in maid. Netflix portrays Lizzie and Maggie as women trapped inside a cruel household. Their shared feelings of confinement lead the story toward fantasies involving power, freedom and revenge.
The season will then explore the gruesome deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden and the cultural legend that developed around Lizzie.
Netflix’s version is a dramatization rather than a documentary. Therefore, conversations, relationships and private events shown in the series may include fictional or speculative elements.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Based on a True Story?
Yes, the series is based on the real Lizzie Borden murder case. However, the historical facts require important context.
On August 4, 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby Borden, were found murdered inside their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew was Lizzie’s father, while Abby was her stepmother.
Authorities eventually arrested Lizzie and charged her with both murders. Her trial became a national sensation in 1893, partly because of the brutality of the crime and partly because many Americans struggled to imagine a respectable woman committing such an act.
On June 20, 1893, the jury found Lizzie Borden not guilty. No other person was successfully prosecuted for the murders, and the case remains officially unsolved.
Consequently, it would be inaccurate to describe Lizzie as a convicted murderer. Netflix may present a particular dramatic interpretation, but the legal record shows that she was acquitted.
Who Plays Lizzie Borden in the Netflix Series?
Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden in ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’.
Beatty previously appeared in Ryan Murphy’s “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans”. She also appeared in the film “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”. Her casting in “Monster” gives her one of the biggest leading roles of her career so far.
Ella Beatty is also the daughter of actors Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. Despite coming from a famous Hollywood family, she has been developing her own career through film, television and theater performances.
In the Netflix trailer, Beatty presents Lizzie as a woman dealing with repression, anger and an increasing desire to control her own life. Her performance appears central to the season’s psychological approach.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Cast
Netflix has assembled a prominent cast to portray the Borden family and the people connected to the case.
- Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden:The woman accused and later acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother.
- Vicky Krieps as Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan: The Borden family’s live-in maid and an important figure in Netflix’s interpretation of the story.
- Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden: Lizzie’s wealthy but famously frugal father.
- Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden: Andrew’s second wife and Lizzie’s stepmother.
- Billie Lourd as Emma Borden: Lizzie’s older sister.
- Jessica Barden as Nance O’Neil: An actor who became associated with Lizzie during her later life.
- Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos: A convicted American serial killer from a much later historical period.
The presence of Aileen Wuornos suggests that the season will not remain entirely within the 1892 timeline. Her appearance may be used to examine Lizzie Borden’s cultural legacy and the way society views women accused or convicted of violent crimes.
Why Is Sarah Paulson Playing Aileen Wuornos?
Sarah Paulson
plays Aileen Wuornos, a convicted killer who lived decades after Lizzie Borden.
The two women had no direct historical connection.
Netflix has not fully explained how Wuornos fits into the story. Her appearance may be thematic or part of a separate timeline, but viewers should treat this as analysis until the complete series provides an answer.
Who Was the Real Lizzie Borden?
Lizzie Andrew Borden was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1860. Her mother died when she was young, and her father later married Abby Gray.
The Borden family possessed significant wealth, but Andrew Borden was known for living more modestly than his financial position might suggest. Reports of tension within the household later became part of the public discussion surrounding the murders.
After her acquittal, Lizzie remained in Fall River and moved into a larger house with her sister Emma. She later used the name Lizbeth. Despite being found not guilty, she continued to face public suspicion and social isolation.
Lizzie died in 1927. Over time, her case inspired books, plays, films, television productions and a famous folk rhyme. However, popular culture has sometimes presented assumptions as facts, even though a jury acquitted her and the crime was never solved.
How Accurate Will the Netflix Series Be?
It is too early to measure the show’s complete historical accuracy because the full season has not yet been released.
The main people and murder case are real, but Netflix’s official description signals that the series will provide a dramatic and psychological interpretation. Private conversations and relationships from the 1890s cannot always be independently verified.
Viewers should approach the show as a true-crime drama rather than a complete historical record. Anyone interested in the real case should compare the series with trial documents, historical archives and research from reputable institutions.
This distinction is particularly important because Netflix’s program description portrays a specific version of the murders, while the historical record establishes that Lizzie was acquitted.
How Does the Lizzie Borden Story Connect to Previous Monster Seasons?
This is the
fourth installment of Netflix’s Monster anthology, following seasons
about Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein. Unlike the previous
installments, the new season places a woman accused of murder at the center of
its story and moves the franchise back to the late nineteenth century.
Is There a Trailer for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story?
Yes. Netflix released the official trailer in August 2026.
The trailer introduces Ella Beatty as Lizzie and shows the tense atmosphere inside the Borden household. It also provides glimpses of Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall and Sarah Paulson.
Instead of presenting the season as a straightforward courtroom reconstruction, the footage emphasizes psychological pressure, female anger and the desire for freedom. This suggests that the series will explore both the historical case and the mythology that formed around Lizzie.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When does Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story release?
The series premieres on Netflix on September 17, 2026.2. Who plays Lizzie Borden?
Ella Beatty portrays Lizzie Borden in the Netflix series.3. Was Lizzie Borden found guilty?
No. A jury acquitted Lizzie Borden on June 20, 1893.4. Is the Lizzie Borden case solved?
No. No other person was successfully prosecuted, and the murders remain officially unsolved.5. Is the Netflix series a documentary?
No. It is a dramatized true-crime series based on real people and historical events.
Final Thoughts
Monster: The
Lizzie Borden Story
gives Netflix’s anthology a different historical period and its first
female-centered case. Ella Beatty’s performance, the series’ psychological
approach and Sarah Paulson’s unexpected role provide several reasons for
true-crime viewers to follow the new season.
However, the
dramatization should not be treated as a final answer to the real case. Lizzie
Borden was accused and tried, but a jury found her not guilty. That unresolved
gap between history and popular culture is precisely what continues to make her
story so compelling.