Netflix viewers praise ‘disturbing’ one-shot episode of Monsters and call it ‘the best acting performance ever’
Warning: this article discusses sexual abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Monsters may have only been out for a day or two, but that hasn’t stopped Netflix viewers from tearing through it already.
The newly released nine episode second season is a follow up to Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
The second season focuses on Lyle and Erik Menendez, known as the Menendez brothers.
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The real life pair are famous for the murder of their parents, and are played in the show by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch respectively.
Whilst fans have been tearing through the series, with some loving it and some finding it ‘slow’, there has been unanimous praise for one particular episode.
Episode five of the show has only two actors, one seemingly continuous shot, and just thirty minutes straight of dialogue.
Whilst exceptionally hard to pull off, by all accounts the filmmakers have.
The episode is currently the highest rated of the season on IMDb, with a whopping average score of 9.1.
It features Erik Menendez, played by Cooper Koch, detailing to his defence attorney Leslie Abramson on the sexual abuse the brothers had received at the hands of their father.
The pair in real life claimed in court that their father had sexually abused them for years.
Whilst an incredibly tough watch, fans have been raving about the episode.
One viewer posted a comment on a general Reddit discussion thread to say: “Ok, im asking from a filming perspective. Do you guys think that episode 5 was one single take? No editing or cuts?”
One comment replied saying: “Looked like one continuous shot to me just slowly zooming in tighter and tighter until the credits hit.
“Either way that scene was intense, kudos to the actor for that performance!”
Another Reddit post discussing the scene said: “In this day and age, over half an hour single shot of a dialogue, where you actually only see one of the faces, is incredible!”
They went on to say: “There is some very slow movement as the camera closes in on him, but it is otherwise a static shot.
“They don't even move around the room. It was a hard watch, because of the content of what he was saying.
“Incredible! What did you think?”
One commenter replied saying: “If he doesn't win an award for that performance alone when he tells his lawyer that horrific story I'll be so shocked, he made it seems so real and natural, I forgot he was acting.”
A 10/10 review on IMDb said of the episode: “Cooper Koch's performance makes you feel as though he has truly lived through these horrific experiences.
“I believe that this episode will earn a place in TV history. I haven't seen such brilliant acting in a single shot in years.”
Topics: Netflix, TV, TV and Film, True Crime, Menendez Brothers
Michael Slavin