Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

What’s it about?

Fourth season of the true-crime Monster anthology. This instalment follows Lizzie Borden, a woman accused of murdering her father and stepmother.

The facts

• Created by Ian Brennan (Glee) and Ryan Murphy (Glee and The Shards)
• Starring Ella Beatty (If I had Legs I’d Kick You), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Charlie Hunnam (Monster: The Ed Gein Story), and Rebecca Hall (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire)
• English language
• Runtime: Eight episodes between 40 and 65 minutes each
• Fourth season of Netflix’s Monster anthology series.

Why did it get this rating?

This series was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

The following information breaks down the film's rating and content warnings. It does not mention any character names or delve into plot points. If necessary, we occasionally include minor spoilers to help keep audiences informed about what they are watching, especially when it comes to sexual violence content.

Violence

Violence is very strong and is often brutal and gory. We see axe murders, stabbings, large amounts of blood, dismemberment, animal deaths, and other forms of graphic violence depicted throughout.

The show also contains depictions of family and sexual violence. We’ve broken down some of the more impactful violence by category:

Sexual violence

There are multiple depictions and detailed references to sexual assault and rape that could upset viewers, especially if they have or know someone who has experienced sexual violence.

• In episode 4, a sex worker is raped by a male character. The scene takes place outside and at night. Although it is dimly lit, it is intense and clear what is happening. The scene is drawn out, and the victim is very clearly distressed and in pain as she cries out for the male character to stop.
• Episode 5 contains a similar scene where a female character is sexually assaulted despite protesting.
• A female character is forcibly grabbed and taken into a room where it is implied they were raped.

Family violence and child abuse

Family violence is a strong recurring theme. Lizzie’s household is portrayed as abusive and oppressive. Emotional and verbal abuse, intimidation, physical assault, and violence between family members occur throughout the season.

• A child is yelled at and locked alone in a room.
• We see several young girls abused and killed by stabbing. The scene is intensified by sound effects and characters shrieking.
• There is a storyline involving pregnancy following sexual assault. The woman is shown giving birth. Her newborn is then drowned by her handmaidens immediately after.

Animal cruelty

• A character’s pet doves are killed with an axe, and we see characters covered in blood and feathers.
• A pet dog is killed by a coyote. The death occurs off-screen, but the coyote carrying it away is shown.

Offensive language

Frequent use including “f**k”, “c*ck”, “sl*t”, “*ss ”, and “c**t”. The language is used for emphasis, intimidation and as insults. A derogatory term for lesbians is also used.

Drug use

• We see a character inject a drug and become dazed.

Suicide and self-harm themes

• A character dies by suicide in a flashback scene. We briefly see the character as they jump from a building.
• A woman discusses a past suicide attempt.
• A character intentionally ingests harmful and toxic substances.

Helplines:

The sexual violence and suicide themes could be upsetting for some viewers, especially for those who have gone through similar experiences. If you are struggling with what you have seen on-screen, please reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs to talk:

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?