Monster returns with Lizzie Borden as its first female subject

Netflix's Monster is back for a fourth season, centred on Lizzie Borden.

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is streaming globally on Netflix, according to the platform. It is the fourth season of Monster, an anthology, meaning each season tells a standalone story with a new cast and subject Variety.

Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden. Borden was accused of the 1892 axe murder of her father and stepmother in Massachusetts, as previously reported Variety. She is the first female subject of the Monster anthology, according to Netflix Netflix.

The household around her drives the season. Charlie Hunnam plays Andrew Jackson Borden, Lizzie's father. Rebecca Hall plays Abby Borden, her stepmother. Vicky Krieps plays Bridget Sullivan, a housemaid. Billie Lourd is also part of the cast.

Hunnam is a returning face in a new role. He played Ed Gein in Monster Season 3. For Season 4, his character is depicted as an undertaker and axe collector.

Preparation went practical. Hunnam said he gathered about 10 tons of wood and bought Scandinavian axes while getting ready for the role. Short version: he learned to chop.

Hall described Abby as a sadistic character keeping up appearances, with polished behaviour hiding cruelty at home. She said playing Abby was an opportunity to be both funny and scary at the same time. She added she had never played a true out-and-out villain before.

Behind the camera, Ian Brennan is the writer and Ryan Murphy is an executive producer, meaning he oversees the series creatively and financially. Netflix describes the setting as a cruel Victorian-era household Netflix. Its synopsis states that Lizzie kills her parents in a gory ax murder that shocks the nation. The season started filming in Los Angeles.

For viewers new to the franchise, no catch-up is required. Each Monster season resets with a new case, so this story starts cold with the Borden household.