Ryan Murphy has his hands in many projects around Hollywood, but his deal with Netflix has been particularly fruitful. His “Monster” series that takes a dramatized look at the POV of notorious killers. The first season focused on Jeffrey Dahmer, Season 2 shed light on the Menendez brothers and Season 3 gave a controversial portrayal of Ed Gein.
“Monster” is returning for a fourth season and will put the focus on Lizzie Borden, who is the subject of a famous nursery rhyme. Ella Beatty will be taking on the role of Borden, but she’s not the only actress in the cast portraying a notorious killer.
Sarah Paulson Looks Unrecognizable as Aileen Wuornos
The third season of “Monster” decided to show multiple timelines and didn’t focus only on Ed Gein. We saw portrayals of famous figures like Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins and Tobe Hooper.
Season 4 appears to also be set in multiple timelines, as Sarah Paulson is going to play Aileen Wuornos, whose crimes took place nearly a century after Borden’s alleged murders happened. Netflix dropped the first look at Paulson in the role, and she’s completely unrecognizable.
Charlize Theron famously won an Oscar for portraying Wuornos in the film “Monster.” While Paulson’s transformation isn’t as intense as Theron’s was, she does look similar to the infamous serial killer.
Paulson has been a Murphy mainstay for years. She has appeared in 95 episodes of “American Horror Story” and 20 episodes of “American Crime Story.” It’s a surprise it took this long to get her in “Monster,” but the Wuornos role makes a lot of sense for an actress who is used to playing darker characters. It remains to be seen how much of a spotlight will be placed on Paulson’s Wuornos, but her presence will likely loom large over the series.
Series is Putting a Spotlight on Female Rage
Wuornos is likely the most famous female serial killer in American history, but that story has been told before. There have been movies about Borden in the past, but none of them were as big as “Monster.”
Considering the fact that Borden was never proven guilty, it’ll be interesting to see how the Netflix series portrays the events. The previous seasons of “Monster” haven’t been too concerned with the truth.
One aspect that could make Season 4 appealing is that it’s clearly going to put some focus on female killers. Beatty previously opened up about how important it was to explore “female rage.”
“The show is exploring a legacy of female rage and reaction to the set of circumstances that they are presented with,” Beatty said in a statement. “Every season of Monster has been an exercise in understanding the person’s psychology… 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.”
“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” is set to premiere on Netflix on September 17, 2026, and promises to be one of the buzziest shows of the fall.
