“The Menendez Brothers” is a documentary that came out in October 2024 on Netflix, and has only continued to gain views in recent months. This intrigue has only increased since their recent resentencing in May 2025.
The documentary follows brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez and their multiple legal trials after they killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their house in Beverly Hills in August 20, 1989.
The murders
At the time, the Menendez brothers were both young adults, with Lyle being 21 and Erik being 18, at the time of the incident.
The brothers claimed that they found their parents dead, and that they then called 911 to report an intruder. The Menendez brothers later argued, after they were no longer able to stick with the intruder story, that they shot their parents because they acted in self-defense.
The brothers stated that while growing up, Jose and Kitty would physically, sexually, and psychologically abuse them.
In their first trial, in 1993, the defense argued that they killed their parents in self-defense.
In their second trial, in 1996, they were convicted of first-degree murder and then were sentenced to life in prison.
Over the years, the case has found more evidence. One of the later-discovered pieces of evidence was a letter that Erick Mendez sent to their cousin saying how their father would abuse them both.
This case was so intense that the juror assigned to the case ended up having a heart attack and had to be replaced. This case brought a lot of attention, which means also bringing a lot of opinions about the case. Some are arguing to release the Menendez brothers while others disagree.
At this time, the Menendez brothers have been resentenced; the newest ruling has sentenced them to 50 years to life, and this makes the brothers now eligible for parole.
Murder in today’s society
Why is murder being glorified in today’s society?
It is very intriguing that streaming, like Netflix, has entire sections on documentaries. Is this good for us, or is it bad should we be worried or use it as a positive effect?
We wanted to get students’ opinions on campus and what their thoughts on it were.
Two students agreed to speak on the issue.
BHS students Samantha Mora and Mykah Bachara both said it could be the actors who are playing these serial killers. They argued that teenagers do not glorify the killings; it’s Netflix and how they pick attractive actors to play the characters in modern-day TV.
As a whole new generation raised on true crime and docudramas continues to explore these dark stories as they grow, it remains to be seen what the long-term impact may be.
