Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story release time, preview, and what to expect

The follow-up season to Ryan Murphy's Emmy Award-winning Monster anthology series finally releases this week, and it's by far one of the most highly anticipated new Netflix original series of the year. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story premieres on Sept. 19, inviting viewers into one of the most chilling true crime stories and asking who the monsters really are.

While the first season of Murphy's anthology series centered on Jeffrey Dahmer and his victims, featuring stars Evan Peters and Niecy Nash-Betts, the second season focuses on the Menendez brothers and their killing of their parents, Jose and Kitty. It's another story that gripped the nation decades ago and still to this day.

For the second season, Murphy and co-showrunner Ian Brennan have rounded up another all-star cast that includes Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as the Menendez parents and Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik Menendez. Wondering when you can watch the potential future Emmy-nominated season? We're sharing everything you need to know before watching!

Release date and time by time zone

If you're planning to watch Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story as soon as it's released on Netflix, you will likely have to burn the midnight oil. All nine episodes drop on Thursday, Sept. 19 at midnight PT, which is 3 a.m. ET. Night owls will be thriving and getting their binge-watch started ASAP, but most viewers will probably be waiting to watch in full over the weekend.

For those who aren't located in the continental United States, you don't have to wait until midnight or the middle of the night (though some countries still do). Some time zones will be able to start watching the evening prior to the release date, while others can start throughout the day. Take a closer look at the Monsters release time in your area in the table below:

Age rating and content warnings

According to the show's official page on Netflix, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has been given a TV-MA rating and has been designated for mature audiences. The reasons for the mature rating include the following content warnings: child abuse, language, nudity, sex, smoking, and violence. Be warned before watching that some of the show's content will likely feature graphic depictions of situations involving abuse, violence, and sexuality and could be triggering.

Synopsis, trailers, and cast

Ahead of the season's release on Sept. 19, Netflix released two trailers, the first of which is included below and the second of which can be watched by clicking here. The trailers give viewers a glimpse at what to expect from the no holds barred adaptation of a real-life murder case. Alleging sexual abuse from their parents, the Menendez brothers were convicted for the murders of their parents.

Here's the official synopsis for the series provided by Netflix:

"While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed - and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole - that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents. Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story dives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?"

Like Dahmer before it, Lyle and Erik will surely inspire a lot of conversation and debate on the internet and beyond as the world begins to dive into the episodes on Sept. 19 and interest in the case soars. After its release in September 2022, Damher drew both negative reception for some of its content, while also receiving praise for its acting performances. We'll have to wait and see how the second edition of the series will fare and how that could impact the in-the-works season 3.

In addition to Bardem, Sevigny, Chavez, and Koch in the leading roles, the series also includes a supporting cast full of familiar faces. Here's who plays who in Monsters:

• Nicholas Chavez as Lyle Menendez
• Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez
• Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez
• Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez
• Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne
• Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson
• Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel
• Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth

Watch the trailer for Monsters season 2 in the video below!

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