Lizzie Borden is heading back to our screens – and this one immediately caught my attention. Netflix’s Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story arrives on 17 September 2026, bringing one of America’s most notorious unsolved murder cases to the Monster anthology.
I’ve already dipped into the fictional Lizzie Borden world with the 2025 horror film The Lizzie Borden Game on Tubi, so naturally this new series has gone straight onto my watch list. The case also has a brilliant Clarissa’s Corner connection: I’ve previously reviewed Bury the Hatchet, the Lizzie Borden folk musical at Southwark Playhouse, and there’s even a Lizzie Borden exhibit here in the UK at The True CRIME Museum in Hastings.
Latest Update
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is due to premiere on Netflix on 17 September 2026. It is the fourth instalment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Monster anthology and turns its attention to the murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892.
What Is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story About?
The series revisits the infamous case of Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father, Andrew Borden, and stepmother, Abby Borden, with a hatchet. Lizzie was tried and acquitted in 1893, and nobody else was convicted of the murders.
More than 130 years later, the unanswered question of what really happened inside the Borden home continues to inspire books, films, television, theatre and endless true-crime theories.
As with other entries in the Monster anthology, this is a dramatised interpretation rather than a documentary, so I’ll be interested to see where the series draws the line between the historical record and creative storytelling.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Cast
Ella Beatty takes on the central role of Lizzie Borden. The cast also includes Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall, Billie Lourd, Jessica Barden and Sarah Paulson.
The True Story of Lizzie Borden
On 4 August 1892, Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were found murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Andrew was Lizzie’s father and Abby her stepmother.
Lizzie became the prime suspect and was eventually put on trial. Her acquittal did little to end public fascination with the case. Instead, Lizzie Borden became part of popular culture, helped along by the notorious rhyme about the killings – despite that rhyme not being an accurate account of the number of blows suffered by the victims.
The murders remain officially unsolved.
I’ve Already Entered the Lizzie Borden Rabbit Hole…
This isn’t actually my first Lizzie Borden watch. I’ve already seen The Lizzie Borden Game on Tubi, a 2025 supernatural horror film that uses the Borden legend very differently. In that story, a Friendsgiving retreat descends into horror after a game summons the ghost of Lizzie Borden.
That is obviously firmly in fictional supernatural-horror territory, whereas the new Netflix series gives us another opportunity to look at the real case behind the legend.
From True Crime to Theatre: Bury the Hatchet
Lizzie has already appeared on Clarissa’s Corner through my guide to Bury the Hatchet at Southwark Playhouse and my personal Bury the Hatchet review.
The folk musical approaches the case through murder ballads, storytelling, humour and the conflicting versions of Lizzie that have developed over the years. I gave the production 4/5, and it’s a fascinating companion piece if the Netflix series sends you down the same true-crime rabbit hole.
See the Lizzie Borden Exhibit in Hastings
If watching the Netflix series leaves you wanting to explore the case away from the screen, there’s a surprisingly good UK connection.
The True CRIME Museum in Hastings has a Lizzie Borden exhibit featuring replicas of skulls associated with the case and a replica axe. These are replicas rather than original Borden artefacts, but the display gives UK true-crime fans another way to explore the story.
The museum is in Hastings, East Sussex, and is currently advertised as open daily from 10am–5pm. Check directly with the museum before travelling for the latest opening information and admission prices.
Why I’ll Be Watching
Lizzie Borden is one of those cases where the history, mythology and pop-culture versions have become tangled together. That makes it perfect territory for looking at adaptation as well as true crime: what do we actually know, what has been speculated, and what gets changed each time somebody retells the story?
Having now encountered Lizzie through horror film and theatre, I’m very curious to see what Netflix does with her story.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story – Key Details
- Series: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story
- Streaming: Netflix
- Episodes: Eight
- Release date: 17 September 2026
- Creators: Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan
- Lizzie Borden: Ella Beatty
- Based on: the 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden and the subsequent case against Lizzie Borden
Read Netflix Tudum’s official release-date and cast guide.
Accessibility and Content Guidance
This is a dramatised true-crime series about a historic double murder, and Netflix’s trailer contains blood, threat and violent imagery. Check the title’s maturity rating and episode-specific warnings before watching, particularly if graphic true-crime material affects you.
Subtitle, dubbing and audio-description availability can vary by device, profile language and region. Open the Audio & Subtitles menu on the Netflix title page after release to confirm the options available to you.
More Lizzie Borden on Clarissa’s Corner
If this case fascinates you too, start with my Bury the Hatchet theatre guide and then read my 4/5 review of the show. I’ll also be building out our True CRIME Museum Hastings coverage, giving the museum and its Lizzie Borden exhibit their own evergreen days-out guide.
FAQ
When is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story released?
The Netflix series is due to arrive on 17 September 2026.
Who plays Lizzie Borden?
Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden in the fourth instalment of Netflix’s Monster anthology.
Was Lizzie Borden convicted?
No. Lizzie Borden was tried for the murders of her father and stepmother and acquitted in 1893. The murders remain unsolved.
Can you see a Lizzie Borden exhibit in the UK?
Yes. The True CRIME Museum in Hastings has an exhibit featuring replica items connected with the story, including replica skulls and an axe.
