They played tennis. They drove a Porsche. They shot their parents.
This doc peels back the pastel polos and exposes the darkest family murder to ever hijack the ‘90s news cycle.
Trailer for “The Menendez Brothers”
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- They blew through $700,000 in a matter of months—buying Rolex watches, designer suits, tennis lessons, and courtside Lakers tickets—all while pretending to grieve.
- The Mafia & James Bond — They tried to claim the mafia did it, because their dad had business ties to organized crime. The evidence? None. They even went to a James Bond movie the night of the murders to create an alibi.
Watch “The Menendez Brothers”
You can watch “The Menendez Brothers” on Netflix here.
To compare streaming options, check JustWatch.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 90/100
- IMDB Rating: 7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73/100 (Users); na (Critics)
Director’s Note: Directed by Alejandro Hartmann is best known for “Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?“. Runtime: 143 minutes. Hartmann’s ability to weave courtroom footage, survivor testimony, and cultural commentary gives this doc a level of nuance we haven’t seen in past Menendez takes.
Release Date: May 2024 (Netflix Global Release)
My Review of “The Menendez Brothers”
The Setup
Back in 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez used shotguns to kill their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion. They claimed it was the mafia. The real reason? A brutal family history of trauma and control, according to their trial defense.
The doc walks us through the killings, the spending spree, the bizarre TV interviews, and how TikTok and Instagram have turned Gen Z into unlikely allies of the Menendez brothers—reframing them not as cold-blooded killers, but as broken sons failed by everyone.
More Highlights from the Doc
- The brothers’ defense focused on years of sexual abuse by their father José, supported by a letter Erik had written to a cousin at age 17—ignored for decades.
- Their trials became TV sensations. The courtroom became a soap opera: crying brothers, dueling psychologists, and jurors in tears.
- The first trial ended in a mistrial. The second trial banned cameras and defense testimony about abuse—leading to conviction.
- Prison guards testify about Lyle mentoring other inmates and Erik running a support group for trauma survivors inside.
- Gen Z on TikTok, especially through accounts like “Menendez Legacy,” led the case’s viral resurgence, reframing them as symbols of ignored male abuse victims.
- 20+ family members and several correctional officers testified in 2025 that the brothers were fully rehabilitated and deserved a second chance.
- In 2025, after 35 years in prison, a judge resentenced them to 50-to-life, making them eligible for parole—thanks to TikTok campaigns, new abuse evidence, and letters from prison guards supporting their rehab.
Cameos
- Kim Kardashian calls for their release on Instagram, citing “a justice system that failed two young boys abused by their father.”
- Rosie O’Donnell shares her own abuse story to support the brothers, saying, “I believe them, because I lived it.”
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- José Menendez was an executive at RCA who helped greenlight MTV and signed acts like Menudo and the Eurythmics.
- Their mother Kitty reportedly had a diary (now lost) that detailed years of depression and denial about José’s behavior—possibly suppressed during the trial.
- Erik once wrote in a school essay that “my dad controls my life like a puppet master.” Teachers never followed up.
- In a prison art program, Erik won an award for a painting titled “Trapped Silence.” It’s now part of a trauma recovery exhibit.
Wrap Up
“The Menendez Brothers” isn’t about proving guilt or innocence. It’s about what we missed—and who we choose to believe now that we know more.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc