Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story parents guide: How graphic is the violence?

The second season of Ryan Murphy's true crime anthology series has arrived with the premiere of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story on Sept. 19. In the nine-episode season, Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch play the Menendez brothers in a retelling of the events that occurred over 30 years ago and captivated the nation.

Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of killing their parents, Jose and Kitty, played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, and accused their parents of sexual abuse. Monsters takes an unflinching look at what happened in the Menendez household, the aftermath of the murder, and the resulting case that put Lyle and Erik in prison for life.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Mendendez Story isn't a series for the faint of heart, as there are graphic depictions of violence and nudity as well as graphic discussions of abuse. Here's a closer look at what you will be seeing in the series, but without major narrative spoilers.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is rated TV-MA

According to the show's official page on Netflix, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has received an age rating of TV-MA and has been designated for mature audiences. The mature rating was given for child abuse, language, nudity, sex, smoking, and violence. Wondering how graphic these themes are before watching? Here's a spoiler-free explanation of what to expect, including content and trigger warnings for potential viewers.

Sex and nudity

Throughout the nine-episode season, there's only one short sex scene between a male and female character. It's brief as is the male rear nudity. Speaking of nudity, there's at least one instance of upper female nudity.

The show also has frequent closeups on the bodies of male leads Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch, who are often shirtless and wearing speedos or underwear. One scene shows Erik sitting naked in the shower and another shows Lyle getting out of the showering and covering his genitals with a towel. Nothing graphic is shown in either scene.

Minor spoilers ahead from episode 3 ahead.

In the third episode, a scene features male full frontal nudity, which occurs at least three times and male rear nudity once, all of Cooper Koch as Erik. As he showers in prison, Erik catches the eye of another male showering across from him. He stands to directly face his fellow inmate and his penis is shown as he cleans himself. The shots of the full frontal nudity aren't closeups, but they are prominent.

Language and violence

Monsters doesn't shy away from heavy profanity, often utilizing words like "f-ck" and "p-ssy" right off the bat in the first episode. In addition to the language containing profanity, a lot of the show's instances of abuse are described in dialogue, meaning the language used to discuss this particularly heavy theme are graphic.

Since the series is about a murder, the violence doesn't hold back either. The sequence in episode 1 where Lyle and Erik shoot and kill their parents features graphic gun violence. There are closeups on blood, wounds, and other body trauma. Other scenes in later episodes recount this moment and also show the deceased bodies again.

Content and trigger warnings

The series features drug use in at least two scenes, with a character using cocaine. There's also smoking and drinking throughout the episodes.

However, the most pressing content and trigger warning in the show revolves around the conversations surrounding abuse and suicidal ideation. The characters often speak about the abuse and trauma they suffered in conversations with therapists, lawyers, and others. Hearing these descriptions could be triggering to some viewers.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.

If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988.

Watch Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story only on Netflix.