Monsters

Monster is a series created by Ryan Murphy (American Crime Story, American Horror Story, 9-1-1, Hollywood, Pose, Feud, etc.). Everything Murphy touches is pretty much successful and this is no different. Everyone knows this story by now...he's one of the most notorious serial killers in the history of the United States. He would lure young men to his apartment and not only kill them but eat them. This is a story that's been told many times but this show takes the unique perspective of largely telling the story from the victims point of view. Evan Peters is absolutely brilliant as Jeffrey Dahmer. He's so good that he should be talked about for an Emmy nomination next year. This series is worth watching for Peters performance alone. This is very dark, disturbing story and Ryan Murphy does a great job telling it.

I knew very little about the Menendez brothers. I knew about the killings and about the molestation defense. But that's about it. The luridness of the story kept me at a distance but now, in this compelling Ryan Murphy series I was hooked from the very first episode. I could watch it as a work of fiction but the fact that it was a true story made me look back and read about it. Oh my God! There are no likeable characters in this saga but really good performances and that's enough to keep you glued to it. And here I discovered Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez. He took over my senses from beginning to end, including the episode that is just him. Superb performance and the humanity he finds in his monster makes you want to rethink the whole thing and believe them/him. He will make re-watch the series again, soon.

This is a solid true crime show with brilliant acting. Especially Evan Peters does an awesome job. It's exciting to see the horrible story of JD staged so carefully. Would have been an 8 but the last two episodes focus too much on JDs neighbour Glenda Cleveland. She surely suffered a lot when JDs crimes were discovered but 15 people had been killed whose friends and families certainly suffered a lot more. I think those people deserve more attention than a lady that indeed did a good job but was not involved in the matter so much. That's why the last episodes are a little bit slow moving. All in all worth a watch.

I want to star off by saying Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story (what a ridiculous title) is a very tough watch. I grew up about 30min from Milwaukee and even though I was a little kid when he was arrested I still remember this story being a huge, especially around here. How he was able to get away with what he did for as long as he did is very troubling. The police dropped the ball time and time again and lots of innocent lives were lost because of it. Evan Peters deserves every bit of recognition he's getting from this series, he was brilliant. The rest of the cast is good too but it's Peters who makes this show what it is.

There are two monsters is this heartbreaking and compelling story, but they are not Erik (Cooper Koch) and Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez), they are Jose (Javier Bardem) and Kitty (Chloë Savigny).

I don't want to delve too deeply into the legal aspects of this case, because this is not a documentary, but a dramatic series. However, let me start by saying, if Erik and Lyle had been Erika and Lyla-two daughters-they would never have spent a day in jail. That's not to say that Erik and Lyle were blameless, but the mitigating circumstances were so overwhelming and compelling that they should have been sentenced to voluntary manslaughter with a 10 year sentence.

Then there is Dominic Dunne (Nathan Lane) a despicable man who trafficked in gossip and celebrity cocktail parties. He was sort of a straight Truman Capote.

I want to highlight Episode 5 'The Hurt Man.' There are only two characters in the entire scene: Leslie Abramson (Ari Gaynor) and Erik. Director Michael Upendahl places the camera about 12 feet away from the table where the two are seated. Abramson with her back to the camera (we never see her face) and Lyle facing. Slowly, imperceptibly, the camera pushes in on Erik until it passes Abramson and ends with a close up of Erik as he explains the title of the episode. Riveting!

Cooper Koch does a tremendous job throughout, but especially in that episode. Nicholas Chavez is also terrific as Lyle. Javier Bardem and Chloë Savigny are outstanding as Jose and Kitty.