Is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story woke?

Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.

Wokeness Analysis

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story heavily emphasizes progressive themes of female empowerment, lesbian romance as rebellion, and systemic patriarchal oppression in Victorian society. The narrative frames Lizzie Borden's alleged crimes as a justified response to emotional and gendered abuse, transforming a historical murder case into a story of 'female rage' and self-liberation through violence. Modern anachronisms, such as punk aesthetics and riot grrrl music, underscore the intent to project contemporary feminist and queer perspectives onto the past. Cross-era connections to figures like Aileen Wuornos further amplify commentary on women's oppression and societal double standards. Critics have noted its 'faux-feminism' and lazy take on gender issues, where plot and characters primarily serve ideological messaging rather than organic storytelling. The series explicitly explores misogyny, gender roles, and lesbian desire as catalysts for empowerment, making the agenda prominent and often forced. While entertaining elements like gore exist, the didactic focus on 'monstrous women' refusing to live 'imprisoned' overshadows pure escapism, aligning with heavily ideological content that resonates poorly with audiences seeking neutral historical drama.

Plot

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is the fourth season of Netflix's Monster anthology series, focusing on the 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden, the repressed daughter tried and acquitted of the crimes. Vicky Krieps plays Bridget 'Maggie' Sullivan, the rebellious live-in maid who forms a romantic and criminal bond with Lizzie. The series depicts the household as cruel and humiliating, with Lizzie and Maggie escaping into fantasies of sex, power, and revenge leading to the killings. It includes modern stylistic elements, a framing device with Aileen Wuornos (Sarah Paulson), and explores themes of female rage. All eight episodes released on September 17, 2026. Supporting cast includes Charlie Hunnam as Andrew Borden, Rebecca Hall as Abby Borden, Billie Lourd as Emma Borden, and others. The show dramatizes the events, assuming Lizzie's guilt for narrative purposes.