Lizzie Borden was acquitted. And yet 130 years later, her myth revolves around the woman with an ax. That’s some serious staying power. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s “Monster” series is all over it with “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,” dropping all eight episodes on Netflix on Thursday, Sept. 17. Ella Beatty leads the series as Lizzie, the first female protagonist in the “Monster” anthology to date. And just like all of Ryan Murphy’s shows… it doesn’t shy away from the ugly. Here’s how to watch “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.”

How to watch ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’

• When: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at 3 a.m. ET
• TV: Netflix
• Stream: Watch with a subscription to Netflix.
• From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.

Everything you need to know about ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’

When will ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ come out on Netflix?

The series drops on Thursday, Sept. 17 on Netflix. And all eight episodes will be available to watch immediately on that day, so you won’t have to wait week-to-week to indulge in this one. Is indulge the right word? Maybe survive is better.

Why watch ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ on Netflix?

Because it’s the only place you can watch it. “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” is a Netflix original, so you’ll need a subscription to the largest streamer to catch it. I have the $9 per month plan with ads, but if you hate commercial breaks, you can grab the ad-free tier for $20 per month, and Premium for $27 per month if you want 4K and a few extras.

Can you watch ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ for free?

Nope. Netflix doesn’t currently offer a free trial in the U.S., so there isn’t a legit free way to stream “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” when it premieres. The cheapest way in is the $9 per month ad-supported plan. That said, keep an ear (eye?) to the internet in case Netflix expands the free trial it’s offering in other territories to the U.S. It probably won’t happen before the premiere (or maybe at all), but you never know.

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Watch the trailer for ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’

What is ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ about?

“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” goes back to 1892 and the Borden house in Fall River, Massachusetts. Ella Beatty plays Lizzie, the daughter of wealthy businessman Andrew Borden (Charlie Hunnam), living with her stepmother Abby (Rebecca Hall), older sister Emma (Billie Lourd), and the family’s live-in maid Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan (Vicky Krieps). The show focuses on Lizzie and Maggie’s feelings of being trapped inside a house where they are constantly humiliated and abused, then pushes that pressure toward fantasies of sex, freedom, power… and (based on the trailer) lots of blood.

What’s even more interesting about this story is that Lizzie was charged, put on trial, and acquitted, and nobody was ever convicted of the murders. So the series has a lot of mystery to work with, along with more than a century of rumors. Beatty has said the season digs into female rage and repression, while Jessica Barden appears as Lizzie’s actor friend Nance O’Neil, and Sarah Paulson somehow enters the story as Aileen Wuornos. Expect more than a few time jumps as Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan connect this story to the modern version of a female serial killer.

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