True crime has been the dark, perverse and fascinating pastime of Americans for years. Whether it be the Investigation Discovery channel or the newest Netflix docu-series, this “genre” has toed the line between information and entertainment. 

However, fictionalized, artistic interpretations of real-life stories – with actors playing these horrible, infamous people, their victims and directors trying to get the best shot and the best lighting to achieve their “vision” – are entirely unethical and immoral. 

The most popular example of this phenomenon is Netflix’s “Monster” series. The series has had three installments, each focused on a different killer (or pair of killers) from history. 

The first season, released in 2022, focused on Jeffrey Dahmer, with subsequent seasons focusing on the Menendez Brothers (2024) and Ed Gein (2025). Season 4, expected to wrap shooting in March, will focus on the Lizzie Borden murders. 

The primary showrunners for these semi-biographical series are Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, who previously worked on television shows like “Glee” and (of all things) “Scream Queens,” a slasher/dark comedy released in 2015. Brennen and Murphy, who also created “American Horror Story,” spearhead these series which depict some of the most infamous crimes in American history. 

Originally, the pair seemed to have good intentions. Their series on Jeffrey Dahmer largely stuck to true events, and could be justified under the guise of “informative, biographical docu-series.” However with later iterations, the showrunners began a habit of interpreting the events in whatever way they found the most entertaining or captivating for audiences. 

In both the series on the Menendez brothers and Gein the true events were mixed in with both entirely made up events and speculated, but not confirmed, theories from real life. 

Additionally, the sexualization of these killers, often having the actors portraying them appear naked in unnecessary fashion, and their use of these stories to create, interpret and otherwise artistically manipulate at will, completely disregards the victims and families affected by the real life actions of these deplorable people. 

By taking these true stories – stories with real victims, real consequences – and mixing in the priorities of filmmaking, the truth of how disgusting and horrific their actions were gets lost in the shuffle. Depicting these figures and the people they hurt with perfect Hollywood actors, in artistic lighting, with perfectly selected music and artistic, subliminal messaging is a slap in the face to the real victims. 

Additionally, a lot of the facts of these stories are unconfirmed, theorized and speculated. For example, we don’t know for certain why the Menendez brothers killed their parents. They, of course, say it was due to the sexual and physical abuse of their father and their mother’s inaction. 

Though it is believable, and highly speculated, it has never been confirmed in a court of law, and in their trial it was decided the pair did not act in self defense. 

“Monster” decided to present what they think happened; the speculated sexual, physical and emotional abuse that led to the Menendez brothers actions. Again, as believable as their story may be in real life, it was never confirmed. Furthermore, speculating on as high of a scale as in a Netflix original docu-series is at best misinformation and at worst a horrible lapse of artistic integrity. 

This practice is present, in ways small and large, in the other “Monster” series, but this is the most glaring example. 

For the next season, covering the Lizzie Borden murders, it can be expected this practice will continue. The murders of Andrew and Abby Borden are often attributed to their daughter, Lizzie, but in real life Lizzie Borden was acquitted. 

As clear of a story as the evidence presents, we have no way of knowing what truly happened, and this case by far leaves the most room for Brennan and Murphy’s “artistic genius.” 

The coloring book attitude toward these deplorable people’s stories is in rotten taste. It’s misinforming and completely disrespectful to the real people who were affected by their actions. 

True crime documentaries that present the facts and inform the viewer of the truth are one thing, because at the very least they are honest. True crime shows like “Monster” – ones that sacrifice the integrity of truth for the artistic pursuit of their directors – are another, completely immoral, thing that we as a society cannot seem to (but really ought to) look away from.