Netflix has released the official trailer for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology series, centering on the 1892 axe murders of Lizzie Borden’s parents.
What happens in the ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ trailer?
The trailer opens with Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan (Vicky Krieps) declaring, “There’s nothing wrong with blood. Blood is power. Blood is freedom,” according to Netflix’s Tudum. Footage offers a glimpse at the deaths of Andrew and Abby Borden (Charlie Hunnam and Rebecca Hall) and the circumstances leading up to them.
Maggie, the Borden family’s maid, pushes Lizzie toward the crime that will define her life, telling her, “Your parents, and the way they treat you… they deserve it,” per Tudum. The trailer closes with Lizzie covered in blood after settling on an axe as her weapon.
Ella Beatty, who plays Lizzie, told Tudum she immersed herself in true crime research to prepare for the role: “Immediately when the audition came up, I listened to every true crime podcast that I could find to learn the facts of the case. My job was to explore the character that Ian and Ryan had created and take all the source material about the real person’s life and then translate that into the very fictionalized version of the woman that we created for the show.”
Beatty also discussed her chemistry with Krieps, saying, “Vicky is unlike anyone I’ve ever met before, which I think is not dissimilar from how Lizzie feels about Maggie. She created such a joyful, fun, exploratory dynamic between our two characters that I just loved delving into with her.”
Who does Sarah Paulson play in ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’?
Paulson plays Aileen Wuornos, the convicted killer sometimes credited as the first female serial killer, in scenes set decades after the Borden murders, according to a separate Tudum feature. Though not directly connected to Borden’s story, Wuornos is depicted as inspired by her legacy, part of the anthology’s broader focus this season on what Beatty called “a legacy of female rage and reaction to the set of circumstances that they are presented with.”
Beatty said the connection between the two women reflects a recurring question across the series. “Every season of Monster has been an exercise in understanding the person’s psychology,” she said. “Are they born or are they made? I knew from the beginning that Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan were really interested in exploring what brings a woman to the point of violence. I think the story of Aileen Wuornos also served that question and that exploration of why women kill.”
The role reunites Paulson with Murphy following prior collaborations including Ratched, American Horror Story and American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Beatty said she and Paulson grew close after co-starring in a play together three years earlier: “I love Sarah Paulson so very much. We met doing a play together three years ago and became very close. She was such a part of the creative process for me from the very beginning.”
The Lizzie Borden Story is the first Monster season to center on a female killer, following prior installments on Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein.
Who stars in ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’?
Beatty leads as Lizzie Borden, alongside Krieps as Maggie, Hunnam as Andrew Borden and Hall as Abby Borden. The cast also includes Billie Lourd, Joey Pollari, Paulson and Jessica Barden.
Ian Brennan created the series, executive produces and writes all eight episodes. Ryan Murphy, Max Winkler, Eric Kovtun, Scott Robertson, Louise Shore, Nissa Diederich, Todd Kubrak, Carl Franklin and Tanase Popa also executive produce. Winkler directs six episodes, with Sarah Adina Smith directing two.
When does ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ premiere?
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premieres Sept. 17 on Netflix.
Watch the trailer below:
Featured image photo credit: Photo: Netflix
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