Introduction

It’s no surprise that the latest addition to Ryan Murphy’s notorious Monster anthology has taken the Netflix charts by storm. The highly anticipated “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” debuted on September 18, racking up an impressive 12.3 million views during its opening weekend. Although this performance is strong, it still pales in comparison to its predecessor, “Dahmer,” which was a cultural phenomenon in 2022.

Viewership Comparison

To put things into perspective, Netflix has altered its method of reporting viewership since the release of “Dahmer.” Initially, they used hours viewed as the metric, revealing that the series garnered a staggering 196.2 million hours in its first weekend after a Thursday launch. In the new system, Netflix divides total hours viewed by the runtime of a show to calculate “views.” If we were to apply this calculation to “Dahmer,” it would translate into roughly 21.8 million views for a comparable time frame.

Future Prospects

This doesn’t mean “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” doesn’t have the potential to gain momentum in the coming weeks. The series is poised for a boost with the upcoming release of a documentary focused on the Menendez case, featuring fresh interviews with Erik and Lyle Menendez, set to premiere on October 7.

Controversy and Criticism

As with “Dahmer,” the Menendez story has not been without its share of controversy. Critics have raised concerns about how the show depicts the brothers and the chilling circumstances surrounding their parents' 1989 murders, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez. Ryan Murphy has acknowledged this criticism, emphasizing that the series incorporates 'many, many perspectives' to give a fuller narrative of the complex events.

Current Rankings

In the broader context of Netflix’s offerings, “The Perfect Couple” continues to hold strong at No. 2 among TV shows, while the film “Uglies” surged to the top spot for films, enjoying an impressive 26.8 million views, making it the most-watched title of the week.

Conclusion

As viewers flock to true crime dramas, the question remains: Will “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” eventually catch up, or is it destined to remain in the shadow of “Dahmer”? Stay tuned as more drama unfolds on the streaming platform!