The Menendez Brothers

What’s it about?

The documentary tells the true crime story of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were found guilty of murdering their parents Jose and Kitty at their Beverly Hills home in 1989 and remain in prison to this day. It recounts the case, using audio recordings of the brothers who talk about years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by their father as the reason for committing the murders when they were 17 and 19 years old.

The facts 

• Directed by Alejandro Hartmann
• English language
• Runtime: 118 minutes

Why did it get this rating? 

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

Content that may disturb

Footage and images of the crime scene are shown several times. You see Kitty and Jose’s bodies surrounded by blood, and although they’re partially blurred you can tell they are deceased. The unfolding of the events on the night of the murders and what led to them are described in gruelling detail.

There are disturbing aspects of the case such as the Menendez brothers going on a shopping spree after they killed their parents, and their mother having turned a blind eye to her husband’s abuse against her children.

Sexual violence themes

The Menendez brothers’ detail their accounts of years of sexual abuse. You see footage of them in tears while testifying in court, talking about their father raping and molesting them as young as 6 years old. These scenes, as well as audio clips of the brothers revisiting what happened to them while they were younger, are very distressing and may be especially hard to watch for people with their own experiences with sexual violence.

Themes of abuse

As well as sexual abuse, the brothers and other interviewees describe emotional and physical abuse by Jose Menendez. Instances that are detailed include Jose holding Erik’s head underwater for long periods of time, asking the boys to do “trust falls” at young ages and purposely not catching them to teach them a lesson, forcing Lyle to hold himself up on a bar high off the ground aged 3 and ridiculing him when he began crying, as well as many verbal threats. Tied in with the sexual abuse, these parts are extremely unsettling.

Suicide references

Both brothers had mental health struggles including depression and anxiety following the murders, however Erik talks about having suicidal thoughts for years afterwards. He talks about his battle and how ultimately, it was because of his suicidal thoughts that he first confessed about the murders to his therapist.

Helplines:

The sexual violence, and other forms of abuse including child abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse 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?
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story – Content breakdown
• Trending True Crime: Lyle and Erik Menendez - Blog