Netflix Under Fire: Why Glorify Killer Monsters Again?

Netflix’s Lizzie Borden Story Sparks Debate

Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story has started streaming today, but the latest installment is already sparking the familiar debate around true crime: when does portraying a killer become glorifying one?

The eight-episode series revisits Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in 1892 but was acquitted later. Netflix says the series explores repression, female rage, sex, power and revenge. That means the streaming platform represents Lizzie as someone who is some kind of a legend!

That framing is what has viewers questioning Netflix’s approach to notorious killers. The Monster anthology has previously centred on Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein. It also turned real criminal cases into glossy, heavily dramatised entertainment.

Now, social media users are once again pushing back, with one asking Netflix directly to stop treating serial killers like MCU characters.

The concern is about how easily real killers can become fascinating antiheroes when their trauma, relationships and personalities receive more attention than the people they harmed. Lizzie Borden’s case itself remains historically contested, but Netflix’s dramatic treatment adds further fictionalised elements to an already notorious story.

There is also an uncomfortable question here: are these shows examining violent crimes, or turning their perpetrators into binge-worthy pop icons?