The Hurt Man
| "The Hurt Man" | |
|---|---|
| Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode | |
| Episode no. | Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Michael Uppendahl |
| Written by | Ian Brennan |
| Cinematography by | Jason McCormick |
| Editing by | Franzis Müller |
| Original release date | September 19, 2024 |
| Running time | 34 minutes |
"The Hurt Man" is the fifth episode of the American biographical crime drama television series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second season of the anthology series Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. Directed by Michael Uppendahl and written by Brennan, the episode was released on Netflix on September 19, 2024.
The season dramatizes the murder case of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, convicted of the 1989 murders of their parents in Beverly Hills. Filmed in a single continuous take (or "one-shot"), the episode features Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, who recounts his childhood abuse in a conversation with his attorney, Leslie Abramson (played by Ari Graynor). This marks Koch as the only cast member to appear in every episode of the season.
The episode received critical acclaim for its acting, direction, writing, and emotional intensity, with some critics regarding it as a standout of the season and one of Murphy's strongest works. The Menendez brothers praised Koch's performance in the episode.