10 TV Shows Like ‘Monster: the Lizzie Borden Story’ That You Should Watch Next.
Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy’s true crime anthology series Monster returns with its first trip back in time, taking us to 1892 to explore one of the most notorious and controversial murderers in American history: Lizzie Borden, a woman said to have murdered her father and stepmother with an axe. Borden was never convicted; controversy and conspiracy theories continue to rage; and while it happened over a century ago, the crime was recent enough that we can pore over police files and crime scene photos and debate the facts, making for a gripping and dramatic series.
After all, a story about a vicious killer is one thing, but a story about a mysterious, perhaps sympathetic, killer? Now that’s a truly gripping crime story. If you’re looking for something similar with a more violent twist, here are 10 series worth watching.
Candy (2022)
The real-life Candy Montgomery has been played several times—by Barbara Hershey in the 1990 CBS film, Jessica Biel in this Hulu miniseries, and, most recently, by Elizabeth Olsen in the HBO Max series Love and Death . Like Lizzie Borden, Candy is a killer (maybe?) who we never tire of. Jessica Biel is so good here that the role deserves extra points. In this flawless recreation of 1980, Candy is accused of murdering her neighbor, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey), after she began an affair with Candy’s husband, Allan (Pablo Schreiber). And, by the way, with an ax. Was it cold-blooded murder or self-defense? Watch Candy on Hulu .
The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015)
This TV movie could be described as sci-fi—it feels a bit like high-quality Lizzie Borden fan fiction (or perhaps a fever dream), with a phenomenal cast led by Christina Ricci. Set after Lizzie Borden’s acquittal for crimes the film clearly establishes she committed, we see Lizzie and Emma (Clea DuVall) attempt to move on with their lives, even as a Pinkerton agent (Cole Hauser) watches their every move. A trip to New York leads Lizzie into a love triangle involving a playwright and a prostitute, whose pimp attempts to extort money from our young killer. This turns out to be as bad an idea as one might expect. Watch The Lizzie Borden Chronicles on Prime Video .
The Staircase (2022)
Inspired by the documentary of the same name, The Staircase avoids typical true-crime tropes, taking a meta approach to its convoluted plot. Colin Firth plays real-life crime writer Michael Peterson, and Toni Colette plays his wife and eventual victim, Kathleen, who dies after falling down the stairs. Peterson was convicted of murder, a charge later reduced to manslaughter, but the case remains unresolved, and the drama focuses on many supporting players—lawyers, family members, and a French film crew who arrive to document everything—offering a glimpse into what life can be like within such a maelstrom of events. Watch The Staircase on HBO Max .
The Tangled Case of Amanda Knox (2025)
In 2007, 19-year-old American student Amanda Knox was studying in Perugia, Italy, when she was arrested and charged with the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher. The prosecution did an incredible job of smearing Knox’s name in the Italian press, leading to her conviction despite a near-total lack of evidence and the fact that the real killer had already been convicted. Grace Van Patten gives a superb performance, and the series phenomenally dramatizes the various errors and fabrications that led to the conviction. A little behind-the-scenes fun: while Meredith Kercher’s family was not involved, Knox herself served as an executive producer, along with Monica Lewinsky, another person who knows what it’s like to be judged by the media. Watch “The Tangled Case of Amanda Knox” on Hulu.
Law (2019)
Over the years, the show’s heroine has become something of a social media influencer and reality TV star, so Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s story has become more complex, not easier, since the series premiered in 2019. However, at the time, the series received rave reviews for its exploration of the childhood of Gypsy-Rose (Joey King), who ultimately became complicit in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette), after years of apparent psychological abuse. Watch “The Act” on Hulu.
Why Women Kill (2019–2021)
Marc Cherry ( Desperate Housewives ) created this dark comedy with a title that says it all: the story of women (Ginnifer Goodwin, Lucy Liu, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Allison Tolman) who have reasons to kill. The first season unfolds across three time periods (the ’60s, ’80s, and present) with three main characters bound together by a single home, each caught in a web of lies and infidelity that pushes them to the brink of murder and beyond. A stronger second season stays in 1949 Los Angeles. It’s a beautifully shot and delightfully soapy series—not exactly a crime series, though it explores important themes in the Lizzie Borden story: what drives a seemingly happy woman to contemplate murder, and how much can we blame her? Watch Why Women Kill on Paramount+.
The Girl from Plainville (2022)
Another true-crime story that’s been adapted multiple times, “The Girl from Plainville” doesn’t exonerate the killer, but it does add nuance to our understanding, as the best true-crime dramas do. Elle Fanning plays Michelle Carter, who has long tried to coerce her emotionally unstable boyfriend, Conrad (Colton Ryan), into suicide, mostly through text messages. Elle Fanning is superb, as is Chloë Sevigny (who, incidentally, played Lizzie Borden in 2018) as Conrad’s grief-stricken mother. Watch “The Girl from Plainville” on Hulu.
Tough Love: The Ruth Ellis Story (2025)
Set in the 1950s, this miniseries tells the story of nightclub performer Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in the United Kingdom (in the US, we’re obviously much less chivalrous). Lucy Boynton gives a phenomenal performance as Ruth, a tough and sometimes heartless woman seeking salvation from an abusive relationship with an emotionally manipulative lover. When she shot David Blakely, there was no chance for the British press or the judicial system to show her sympathy, despite the best efforts of her lawyer, John Bickford (Toby Jones). This series could have influenced her conditional pardon in 2026, which came some 70 years too late. Watch “Tough Love: The Ruth Ellis Story” on Britbox .
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018)
Another true-crime documentary from Ryan Murphy (with its ups and downs, given the director’s penchant for operatic style), Darren Criss plays sociopathic serial killer Andrew Cunanan, whose final victim was legendary fashion designer Gianni Versace (Édgar Ramírez). Focusing on the sun-drenched Miami Beach scene of the 1990s, Murphy honed his signature style: polish, intense drama, and a focus on the killer that borders on sympathy. Watch The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story ( season two) on Hulu .
Alias Grace (2017)
Another major adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel (existing in the shadow of the more discussed The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments ), this miniseries is equally poignant and masterfully crafted. It’s based on the true story of a poor Irish immigrant convicted of a double murder in 1843 under rather mysterious circumstances and after a life of trauma. Years later, a psychiatrist comes to examine her and explore her past and the circumstances that could (just could) have led this destitute and disenfranchised girl to murder. Like the best character studies of Lizzie Borden, the series understands that knowing whether she did it or not isn’t as interesting as understanding what might have driven her to it.Watch Alias Grace on Netflix .