Sarah Paulson is
taking on one of the most challenging roles of her career, portraying convicted
murderer Aileen Wuornos in the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s Monster
anthology.
The first glimpse of Paulson in character arrives at
the end of the teaser for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,
creating an unexpected connection between two notorious women whose cases
occurred nearly a century apart.
The new season
is primarily focused on Lizzie Borden, played by Ella Beatty, but Wuornos will
appear as part of a broader story examining how infamous cases can influence
public perceptions of female violence, criminal psychology and the cultural
fascination surrounding notorious crimes.
The casting has
already generated significant interest, particularly because Paulson is one of
television’s most acclaimed dramatic performers.
Sarah Paulson in ‘Monster: The Lizzie
Borden Story’.
Credits:
Netflix/Instagram
Why Aileen Wuornos Appears in the New Monster Story
Netflix’s
latest Monster
installment takes viewers back to 1892, when Lizzie Borden became the central
figure in a sensational American murder investigation.
Borden was
accused of killing her father and stepmother in Massachusetts but was
ultimately acquitted. Despite the verdict, her name became permanently
associated with one of the most famous unsolved chapters in American criminal
history.
Wuornos,
meanwhile, lived almost a century later.
Her case
unfolded in Florida during the late 1980s and early 1990s and resulted in
convictions for multiple killings. Her story subsequently became the subject of
documentaries, books, films and extensive media coverage.
The new series
uses the two women to explore a larger question: Why do some
women become associated with extreme violence, and how does society interpret
their stories differently from those involving male offenders?
That thematic
connection appears to be central to the decision to include Wuornos in the
season.
Sarah Paulson’s Role Goes Beyond
a Simple True-Crime Cameo
Paulson's
appearance is not being presented simply as another recreation of a famous
criminal case.
According to
Netflix's description of the season, her character contributes to the show's
larger examination of psychology, identity and the circumstances that can shape
a person's life.
That approach
is consistent with the anthology's format.
Rather than
treating its subjects solely as names from criminal-history headlines, Monster
has repeatedly attempted to examine the people behind those headlines and the
environments surrounding their cases.
Wuornos
therefore becomes part of the season's thematic conversation about female
criminal psychology, violence, media fascination and the complicated question
of nature versus nurture.
The casting of
Paulson adds another layer.
She has built
a reputation for portraying psychologically complicated characters, making her
involvement one of the season's most closely watched elements.
The Connection Between Lizzie
Borden and Aileen Wuornos
The creative
team appears particularly interested in the relationship between historical
reputation and cultural mythology.
Borden became
an enduring American cultural figure after her trial. Wuornos experienced
something similar decades later, as her life and crimes became the focus of
increasingly extensive media coverage.
The two cases
are separated by generations, geography and radically different circumstances.
Yet both women
became subjects of intense public fascination.
The series
uses that contrast to ask how society turns real people into symbols—and what
can be lost when complicated lives are reduced to a single label.
That makes
Wuornos' appearance potentially important to the season even though Borden
remains the principal subject.
Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornos in
‘Monster’ (2003).
Credits:
Gene Page/Mdp/New Market/Kobal/Shutterstock
Paulson Has Already Been Seen in
Character
Paulson was photographed portraying Wuornos before
the new teaser was released, giving viewers an early indication of the
transformation.
The role also
places Paulson in a long line of performers who have portrayed Wuornos.
Charlize
Theron previously played her in the 2003 film Monster,
a performance that earned Theron the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Lily Rabe also
portrayed Wuornos in American Horror Story: Hotel.
Netflix
previously explored Wuornos in the documentary Aileen: Queen
of Serial Killers, adding another connection between the real-life
case and the streaming platform.
Paulson's
version will therefore inevitably be compared with earlier interpretations.
The difference
is that Monster
appears to be using Wuornos not only as an individual historical subject but
also as part of a larger examination of female violence and the cultural
stories built around it.
Why the New Season Is Different From Earlier Monster
Chapters
The upcoming
season represents another shift for the anthology.
Earlier
installments focused on figures including Jeffrey Dahmer, Lyle and Erik
Menéndez and Ed Gein.
The Lizzie
Borden story introduces a different perspective by centering a woman and
examining the expectations, restrictions and social pressures surrounding women
in the late 19th century.
That makes the
appearance of Wuornos particularly significant.
The series can
place two very different women within the same thematic framework while
allowing viewers to consider how ideas about gender, power and violence have
changed—or remained surprisingly familiar—over time.
A Strong Ensemble Surrounds Ella
Beatty
Beatty leads
the new season as Lizzie Borden, while the cast includes several recognizable
names.
Vicky Krieps
portrays Bridget Sullivan, the Borden family's maid, while Charlie Hunnam plays
Andrew Borden.
Rebecca Hall
portrays Abby Borden, Billie Lourd plays Emma Borden and Jessica Barden appears
as Nance O'Neil.
Joey Pollari
is also part of the ensemble.
The story
reportedly focuses on the relationship between Borden and Sullivan and the
increasingly complicated world surrounding the wealthy Massachusetts household.
That gives the
season a period-drama foundation while maintaining the psychological approach
associated with Monster.
Ella Beatty as Lizzie Borden in ‘Monster:
The Lizzie Borden Story’.
Credits:
Netflix
The Bigger Question Behind Netflix’s New Monster
The most
intriguing aspect of the new season may ultimately have little to do with
simply identifying who committed what crime.
Instead, the
series appears interested in a broader question: How does an
ordinary person become an infamous figure—and how does society decide what that
person represents?
Borden became
a symbol of Victorian-era mystery and scandal.
Wuornos became
one of the most recognizable female criminal figures in modern American
history.
By placing
their stories within the same thematic universe, Monster
can explore the evolution of public attitudes toward women accused or convicted
of serious violence.
It also gives
Paulson a role that exists within a much larger conversation about true
crime, criminal psychology, historical crime cases and the media's fascination
with notorious figures.
For viewers
accustomed to the anthology's previous seasons, that could make the fourth
installment markedly different from what came before.
When Will Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Be
Released?
Monster:
The Lizzie Borden Story
is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on September 17,
with eight episodes planned for the season.
Paulson's
appearance as Wuornos is likely to be one of the most discussed elements when
the series arrives.
The larger
question, however, is whether the season can turn the familiar Borden case into
something more than another retelling—and whether connecting Borden with
Wuornos will offer viewers a genuinely different way of understanding both
women's places in American crime history.
The answer will become clearer when the new season
arrives.
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