Ella Beatty believes her portrayal of Lizzie Borden in “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” takes Netflix’s biographical crime anthology in a new direction as the franchise focuses on a female figure for the first time.
Beatty said creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan were particularly interested in exploring the story of a woman accused of murder.
Previous “Monster” instalments examined cases involving Jeffrey Dahmer, Ed Gein and brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez.
The new series begins streaming on Thursday and follows Borden, who faced trial but was acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and stepmother, Abby Borden.
Series Revisits Mystery Surrounding 1892 Murders
Charlie Hunnam plays Andrew, while Rebecca Hall portrays Abby.
Moreover, Hall said she previously knew Borden mainly as an almost mythological figure from American folklore and was surprised to discover she had been acquitted.
The killings became deeply embedded in American popular culture through a famous rhyme and numerous adaptations across film, theatre, television, radio and music.
However, questions surrounding what happened inside the Borden home have persisted for more than a century.
Drama Explores Women’s Lives in the 1890s
Director Max Winkler said the unresolved aspects of the case allowed the series to examine social restrictions imposed on women during the period.
He said women faced strong expectations to marry and have children, while Lizzie struggled to fit that prescribed role.
Consequently, the drama uses her circumstances to explore frustration, social pressure and what Winkler described as “female rage.”
Winkler added that the series does not approach violence by assuming people are inherently evil. Instead, it examines the pressures and circumstances that can push individuals towards extreme actions.
