Image Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The Lizzie Borden cast brings together Ella Beatty, Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall and Sarah Paulson for Netflix’s latest chapter in Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premiered on Netflix on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, offering a dramatic retelling of one of America’s most infamous murder cases.
Beatty leads the series as Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her father and stepmother with an ax in August 1892. While the real-life Borden denied responsibility and was acquitted, the show quickly establishes her guilt as fact. From there, the drama focuses on her troubled family life, romantic relationships and transformation into a notorious historical figure.
The Lizzie Borden Cast Behind Netflix’s Controversial New Drama
The ensemble is led by several recognizable performers, each playing a significant role in the series’ expansive narrative. The principal cast includes:
- Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden
- Vicky Krieps as Maggie, a new housemaid who becomes closely connected to Lizzie
- Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden, Lizzie’s father
- Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, Lizzie’s stepmother
- Sarah Paulson as Aileen Wuornos
- Jessica Barden in a supporting role
- Joey Pollari and Billie Lourd in additional roles
Krieps plays Maggie as a rebellious and unconventional housemaid whose arrival changes Lizzie’s sheltered life. The series presents their relationship as an important emotional and romantic force, with Maggie encouraging Lizzie to question the restrictions imposed by her family.
Ella Beatty Takes Center Stage as Lizzie Borden
Beatty carries the central performance as a young woman moving from isolation and fear toward confidence and notoriety. The show portrays Lizzie’s father and stepmother as cruel, emotionally abusive figures who mistreat their household staff and belittle their daughter. That approach gives the audience an immediate explanation for Lizzie’s rage, but it also leaves little room for ambiguity.
Hunnam and Hall embrace the series’ heightened style as Andrew and Abby Borden. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s review, both performances lean heavily into exaggerated villainy, including an especially grotesque dinner sequence. The depiction may make Lizzie easier to sympathize with, but it also reduces the family conflict to a stark battle between victim and oppressor.
A Bold, Cross-Generational Story of Infamous Women
The show attempts to make Lizzie’s story part of a wider history of female violence. Krieps also portrays Elizabetta Báthory, the 16th-century countess associated with legends of bathing in the blood of virgins. Meanwhile, Paulson appears as Aileen Wuornos, the 20th-century sex worker and convicted killer who becomes fascinated by Lizzie.
This structure allows the series to move beyond the Borden household and connect several famous women through themes of oppression, rebellion and public notoriety. However, the review argues that the connection is largely superficial. The women have different backgrounds, motives, methods and outcomes, making the show’s central comparison difficult to sustain.
Paulson’s appearance as Wuornos is one of the season’s most noticeable casting choices. Her performance is described as broad and theatrical, with Wuornos treating Lizzie as a role model and spiritual counterpart. The storyline also includes a visit to Lizzie’s former home and imagined interactions between the two women.
Why the Lizzie Borden Cast Is Drawing Attention
The casting has generated interest because the performers are working across a stylized period drama, a psychological thriller and a true-crime interpretation. The series also represents the first female-centered story in Murphy and Brennan’s planned expansion of the Monster franchise.
Still, the cast cannot fully overcome the show’s structural problems. The Hollywood Reporter review describes the eight-hour story as padded, with repeated exposition, slow-moving romantic interludes and storylines that appear before disappearing without meaningful development. The criticism is aimed primarily at the writing and overall concept, although the performances are often deliberately larger than life.
At its strongest, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story offers a visually striking and provocative interpretation of a notorious case. At its weakest, it forces a modern empowerment message onto historical figures whose lives do not naturally fit together. The result is a divisive Netflix drama that may attract viewers through its starry cast, even as its ambitious themes invite sharp debate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who plays Lizzie Borden in the Netflix series?
Ella Beatty plays Lizzie Borden, the central character in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.
Who is in the Lizzie Borden cast?
The cast includes Ella Beatty, Vicky Krieps, Charlie Hunnam, Rebecca Hall, Sarah Paulson, Jessica Barden, Joey Pollari and Billie Lourd.
Who does Vicky Krieps play?
Vicky Krieps plays Maggie, a housemaid who becomes closely involved with Lizzie and helps influence her view of freedom and violence.
Who plays Aileen Wuornos?
Sarah Paulson portrays Aileen Wuornos in the series’ cross-generational storyline.
When did the series premiere?
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story premiered on Netflix on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
