Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Cast: Ella Beatty Leads Netflix’s Chilling New Season

Netflix’s Monster anthology is turning to one of America’s most infamous murder mysteries, and Ella Beatty is at its center. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology, puts the spotlight on the woman forever linked to the brutal 1892 Borden murders.

Ella Beatty takes on the role of Lizzie Borden, the Massachusetts heiress accused of killing her father and stepmother with an axe. The series uses the notorious case as the foundation for an eight-episode psychological, gothic drama that explores Lizzie’s family life, relationships, and the social pressures on women in the late 19th century.

Ella Beatty Plays Lizzie Borden

Beatty becomes the first female central subject of the Monster anthology. Her version of Lizzie is portrayed as a young woman trapped by family expectations and the restrictive social conventions of her era.

The series presents Lizzie as increasingly frustrated with her home life. Her relationship with her stepmother, Abby Borden, is particularly strained, while her father, Andrew, is depicted as distant and difficult.

Beatty has described Lizzie as someone shaped by the emotional and social restrictions placed on women during the period. The actress also said she approached the character by asking whether notorious killers are “born or made.”

Ian Brennan has said the casting process involved a wide search before Beatty emerged as the actor the production believed could carry the role.

Vicky Krieps Has Two Very Different Roles

Vicky Krieps plays Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan, the Borden family’s housekeeper. Bridget becomes an important figure in Lizzie’s life, introducing her to experiences and possibilities beyond the tightly controlled world of the Borden household.

Krieps also appears as Elizabeth Báthory, the infamous Hungarian countess whose story becomes part of the season’s gothic mythology. According to Brennan, the Báthory casting came relatively late in production, with Ryan Murphy suggesting Krieps for the role.

Krieps previously appeared in the Monster universe, making her return another connection between seasons.

Charlie Hunnam Returns as Andrew Borden

Charlie Hunnam plays Lizzie’s father, Andrew Borden. The role marks another anthology appearance for Hunnam after his portrayal of Ed Gein in the previous season.

Andrew is presented as a wealthy but harsh patriarch whose relationship with Lizzie is deeply troubled. The character’s interest in axes adds another unsettling element to the story surrounding the murders.

Charlie Hunnam also offered Beatty advice on approaching a complicated character, drawing on his experience playing Gein.

Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden in Netflix Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

Rebecca Hall Plays Abby Borden

Rebecca Hall plays Abby Borden, Lizzie’s stepmother. The series depicts Abby as strict and unhappy with her circumstances, while her relationship with Lizzie becomes increasingly hostile.

Rather than portraying Abby as a simple villain, the show explores her frustrations and limitations within the period’s social structure.

Sarah Paulson Plays Aileen Wuornos

One of the season’s biggest surprises is Sarah Paulson as convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

Wuornos lived nearly a century after the Borden murders and was convicted in connection with the killings of seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. In the series, her story intersects with Lizzie Borden’s legacy after Wuornos becomes fascinated with the notorious murder case.

Paulson’s appearance broadens the season’s timeline, connecting the 1892 Borden case with another infamous chapter in American true crime.

Billie Lourd, Jessica Barden and Joey Pollari Join the Cast

Billie Lourd plays Emma Borden, Lizzie’s older sister, who has a significantly different relationship with their parents and family expectations.

Jessica Barden portrays Nance O’Neil, a touring actress who connects with Lizzie and helps her navigate the extraordinary public attention surrounding the murder trial.

Joey Pollari plays John Morse, Lizzie’s uncle and her late mother’s brother. His arrival in the Borden household eventually places him under suspicion in the aftermath of the killings.

Netflix’s Latest Monster Takes Creative Liberties

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story draws from a real historical case but does not present itself as a strict reconstruction of every documented event.

The series mixes historical figures, gothic imagery, and fictionalized storytelling to examine the circumstances surrounding Lizzie, her family, and the enduring fascination with the Borden murders.

The real Lizzie Borden was acquitted in 1893 and maintained her innocence. More than a century later, the mystery surrounding what happened inside the Borden home continues to fuel books, films, television productions, and true-crime fascination.

With Beatty leading an ensemble that includes Krieps, Hunnam, Hall, and Paulson, Netflix’s latest Monster brings one of America’s most notorious unsolved historical mysteries back into the spotlight.

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is streaming on Netflix.