Netflix is facing backlash over the way it promoted Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, with viewers accusing the streamer of presenting real murder cases like a superhero franchise. The season arrived on Netflix on 17 September, but the argument around its marketing began before anyone had pressed play.
The criticism centres on a promo that lines up Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein before introducing Lizzie Borden as “the next monster”. The format resembles a character reveal or franchise trailer, rather than an advert for a drama about real people and real victims. The Tab’s FilmShine report first collected the reaction, while IBTimes UK reported that the campaign was being compared with Marvel-style rollouts and fighting-game DLC announcements.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story promo draws backlash
One widely shared reaction called the video “kinda psychotic”, while another compared the presentation to announcing a relative’s killer as a game character. The posts are reacting to the packaging of the anthology, not necessarily to the performances or the season’s eventual account of the 1892 case.
Netflix’s official post is below:
The reaction that described the campaign as “kinda psychotic” is here:
Other posts made the same point through gaming comparisons:
Why Netflix’s true-crime marketing is being questioned
The concern is familiar: turning real killers into recognisable entries in a repeatable entertainment universe can make the crimes feel like branded mythology. Monster has previously covered Dahmer, the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein; the new season moves to Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted over the axe murders of her father and stepmother in Massachusetts in 1892.
That history makes the promotional language especially uncomfortable for critics. Netflix has not announced a change to the campaign or issued a public response to the backlash. The series is available on Netflix, and readers can see our guide to watching Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story in the UAE.
Why is Netflix’s Monster promo being criticised?
Critics say its character-reveal format turns real murder cases and their perpetrators into franchise-style entertainment.
Who is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story about?
The season dramatises Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted over the 1892 murders of her father and stepmother.
Where can I watch Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story in the UAE?
The series is available on Netflix in the UAE, according to the current tbreak streaming guide.
