Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story parents guide: Nudity and violence factor into TV-MA rating

On Sept. 19, Netflix dropped the second season of its Emmy-winning anthology series Monster with the release of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The show tells the story of Lyle and Erik Menendez whose trial made headlines back in the 90s as the brothers were tried for the murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty.

The series is rated TV-MA, which means the show is meant for mature viewing audiences and not recommended for younger viewers. In the case of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the show’s TV-MA was given due to the show’s inclusion of nudity, violence, sexual abuse, child abuse, and drug use, among other items. This is a show that most certainly earned its TV-MA rating and is not recommended for younger audiences, and parents will want to read up on the content of the show before determining whether it might be appropriate for those under 18. 

For those unsure what to expect, here is a quick recap of what you can expect from the series to help make a determination of whether the show is something you might want to watch and feel comfortable with younger viewers in your household watching. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead. 

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story does contain nudity 

Within the nine-episode season, there is frequent nudity including a brief sex scene between a male and female character in the show and there are many instances of brief rear male nudity and a scene featuring upper female nudity. There are also several nude scenes across the show including a sequence in the first episode in which Cooper Koch’s character Erik is seen naked in the shower, though there is no frontal male nudity in the scene. 

There is however more graphic male nudity in the show, particularly in episode 3 in which the characters of Lyle and Erik are in prison. 

In one scene, Nicholas Alexander Chavez’s character Lyle is seen in a communal shower and the scene features full frontal male nudity. There is also a scene within the episode in which Koch’s character has his prison cell searched and the character is seen nude with male nudity used to imply the character was subject to a strip search. 

The third episode of the season also features full frontal nudity as well as male rear nudity as well. In the scene, Koch’s character Erik catches the eye of another male prisoner in the shower. As the two exchange glances, Erik turns to face the other prisoner directly and his penis is shown multiple times within the scene as he cleans himself and holds eye contact with the other prisoner. While it is implied the other prisoner is also nude, there is no frontal or rear nudity of the other prisoner. 

While Koch has not commented on the nudity in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, he has addressed nudity as a performer having tackled nude scenes both on the stage in Hair as well as in the horror film Swallowed. 

“I did Hair in college, where we all got naked on stage, and I did an art installation with a director where I was naked. So I’ve had some experience with nudity as a performer before and it’s always been done really respectfully and artistically,” Kotch told The Queer Review addressing his role in Swallowed. 

In addition to featuring male frontal and rear nudity, there are also several shots featuring the male characters shirtless, in their underwear, and wearing speedos. There is also a scene in episode 6 in which an older male character orders a male sex worker to get on all fours and use his mouth to remove his towel as he lays down on a sofa. No nudity is scene but the two characters are both shirtless and it is implied they're only wearing the towels.

Violence and Language

Monsters does indeed contain some graphic violence within the show, primarily within the first episode which graphically depicts the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez. This particular scene includes graphic gun violence depicting the murders of the characters which there is blood spatter, dismembered body parts, and a moment in which one character’s brain splatters out as the result of gunshot wounds. There are close-ups of the blood and wounds caused by the gunshots, and we revisit the scene in the series via flashbacks to the murders. 

The series also does not stray away from the use of profanity across the nine-episode series with many uses of curse words including many f-bombs over the course of the show. The series also includes graphic language used to address the topic of sexual abuse with dialogue that might be triggering for the viewing audience and not appropriate for younger viewers.  

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story addresses triggering topics 

There are definitely a few topics featured within the show that could be triggering to audiences including drug use within the series as there is smoking and drinking within the show, as well as a scene in episode 2 that depicts a character using cocaine. Additionally, in episode 8, there is a scene in which a man forcefully shoves a handful of pills down the throat of a female character causing her to pass out and need medical attention. 

For those unfamiliar with the case, Lyle and Erik Menendez’s defense was built around the brothers acting out of fear as both Lyle and Erik testified that their father had been sexually abusing them for years and that their mother enabled the abuse, and this is a plotline that Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story shines a light on. 

Within the series, there are many conversations about the abuse Erik and Lyle suffered and the trauma the treatment of their parents had on them including thoughts of suicide. Many of the conversations about the abuse go into graphic detail which could be triggering to audiences.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.