The Menendez Brothers: Release date, plot, Trailer, & Everything we know About the Netflix Documentary

Netflix has announced a new documentary on the infamous case of the Menendez Brothers, which aims to "offer new insight and a fresh perspective on a case that people only think they know."

On Aug. 20, 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez, 21 and 18, shot and killed their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion. José was shot six times with a shotgun at close range, while Kitty was shot 10 times. The brothers first said the killings happened while they were out at a movie and festival, but later admitted to the murders. They explained that they did it because they had been sexually, emotionally, and physically abused for years.

The streaming giant announced this documentary shortly after releasing Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which is the second installment in Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology series. In a Facebook post, Erik criticized the series for unjustly portraying him and his brother. He wrote, "I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show. I can only believe they were done so on purpose. It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent."

In this article, we will tell you where and when you can watch the gripping documentary. We also delve further into the plot, provide an official trailer, and more. Stay tuned as we regularly update this space with new information.

Release date & Where to Watch

The Menendez Brothers premieres on Netflix on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. It has a runtime of 1 hour 58 minutes.

Plot

In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of killing their parents. This case became one of the most well-known criminal trials of the late 20th century. For the first time in almost 30 years, both brothers revisit the trial and share their own perspectives.

In an audio clip in the trailer, we hear say, "Everyone asks why we killed our parents. Maybe now people can understand the truth;" while Eric adds, "What happened that night is very well known but so much hasn’t been told. We were not the ones who told the story about our lives. Two kids don’t commit this crime for money."

Argentinian director Alejandro Hartmann offers new insight and a fresh perspective on the case of Lyle and Erik. He conducted extensive audio interviews with lawyers involved in the trial, journalists who covered it, jurors, family, and other informed observers, including their cousin Diane Vander Molen and prosecutor Pamela Bozanich.

Also read: How to Watch Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed Online

Official Trailer

Behind the Scenes

The Menendez Brothers is produced by Campfire Studios. Producers include Ross M. Dinerstein and Rebecca Evans, while executive producers include Ross Girard and Mark McCune. Dani Sloane, Gina Scarlata, Cecilia Salguero, Will Mavronicolas, and JP Quicquaro serve as co-executive producers.