Netflix’s famous Top 10 rankings are in a constant state of flux, reflecting the ever-changing viewing habits of millions of subscribers worldwide. However, climbing near the upper echelons of the streaming charts does not necessarily guarantee that a television show is winning over its audience or securing critical acclaim. A prime example of this phenomenon can be found with the platform’s current number two series, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, which is currently generating a wave of deeply polarized reactions. While viewers are rushing to stream the latest installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology format, both critics and casual watchers alike are appearing largely unimpressed by the final product.
The fourth season of Netflix’s sprawling Monster anthology series turns its dramatic lens toward Lizzie Borden, portrayed by Ella Beatty. Borden remains one of the most infamous figures in American true-crime history, having been tried and subsequently acquitted for the brutal 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. The historical mystery has fascinated generations of true-crime enthusiasts, law historians, and amateur sleuths for more than a century. Alongside Beatty, the star-studded ensemble cast features an impressive roster of recognizable talent, including Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall, Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari, Billie Lourd, and veteran actress Sarah Paulson.
Despite boasting a stacked cast and all the narrative ingredients necessary for a juicy, high-profile true-crime drama, the series is struggling to connect with viewers on a deeper level. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season currently holds a dismal 42 percent critics score alongside an equally low 35 percent audience score. Reviewers across the internet have not held back their disappointment, offering blunt critiques of the storytelling, pacing, and overall creative direction of the historical drama.
Social media platforms and review aggregators have quickly become sounding boards for frustrated fans. "This was so awful," one viewer wrote in a scathing online review. "I only rated it more than one star because the acting was slightly better than the story."
Others took issue with the tone and stylistic choices made by the creative team behind the camera. "It’s just terrible. Weirdly over the top and sexual," another viewer lamented, expressing fatigue with the overarching franchise. "Please stop making this series. It’s bad."
A third viewer kept their critique short and sweet, writing, "Very boring and forgettable," summing up the prevailing sentiment among a significant portion of the audience that expected a more gripping and historically grounded narrative treatment of the legendary murders.
Even amidst the heavy wave of negative reviews and low aggregate scores, viewers and critics appear to have reached a rare consensus on at least one major element of the production: Sarah Paulson is delivering a masterclass in acting. Paulson takes on a striking role in the season as Aileen Wuornos, the infamous serial killer she famously portrayed to critical acclaim in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Hotel. Even viewers who were thoroughly unimpressed with the overarching plot, historical liberties, and pacing of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story found plenty of room for praise when it came to Paulson’s magnetic screen presence.
The response on social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, has been heavily punctuated by adoration for Paulson’s performance. "The only decent thing about this show is Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos, who, as usual, makes every scene she’s in better," one user shared on the platform, capturing the feelings of many disappointed subscribers who pushed through the episodes strictly for the performances.
Another fan echoed that sentiment after completing the season. "Just finished the new Monsters season and Sarah Paulson genuinely blew me away. I already knew she was an incredible actress but fucking hell. Might be the best actress of our generation," they wrote.
A third user kept their admiration concise, simply stating, "Sarah Paulson, the sublime actress you are!"
For television enthusiasts who find themselves curious enough to witness what all the digital fuss is about, or for those who are tuning in strictly to watch Sarah Paulson command the screen once more, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is currently available to stream on Netflix.
