In the lucrative world of true crime entertainment, 1989 Murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez adult sons Lyle and Erik still stand out.

In the three decades since the brothers’ televised trial captivated the country, they have been the subject of numerous made-for-TV movies and documentaries.“Saturday Night Live” parodypodcast episodes and the latest from Ryan Murphy Netflix’s controversial series “Monsters”“

But amid a sea of ​​Menendez content, Alejandro Hartmann’s new Netflix documentary has something most Menendez documentaries don’t: Both brothers tell their stories in their own words.

“The Menendez Brothers,” released on Netflix in October, features more than 20 hours of interviews conducted during Lyle and Erik’s incarceration at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility outside San Diego.

It was the first time in nearly 30 years that the brothers had spoken out about litigation over the same project; They met with Barbara Walters just after she was convicted of murder at their second trial in 1996.

through additional interviews with other family members and individuals who attended the siblings’ hearings (including Pamela Bozanich(The lead prosecutor in the first trial, who still refutes the claim that the brothers killed their parents in self-defense after years of abuse), the documentary paints a holistic portrait of a case we might think we know everything about. It opens the door for the viewer to reach new conclusions.

“I wanted to tell the story with wide-open eyes,” Hartmann told Business Insider, “to have the prosecutor and have different views, because I wanted to hear those views, too.”

Below, Hartmann explains how he got the brothers to open up to him and whether he thinks Lyle and Erik should be released.

‘The Menendez Brothers’ director says being an outsider helps him offer a new perspective on a decades-old case

Hartmann, who is from Argentina, was not familiar with the infamous murder case when he signed on to direct. But he said his lack of prior knowledge allowed him to approach the project without prejudice.

He also used his outsider status to impress Lyle Menendez, who he knew would be a harder brother to find for an interview. (Erik previously appeared on the 2017 A&E docuseries “The Menendez Murders: Erik Tells All.”)

After connecting with Lyle approached his wife first.Hartmann wrote an email to Lyle, explaining his background as a non-American and implying that he might have a different perspective on the case than Lyle expected.

He helped seal the deal. “It was a big deal for him to finally agree to be a part of the documentary and finally talk to me,” Hartmann told BI. Lyle then encouraged Erik to contact Hartmann as well.

The key to gaining the brothers’ trust is to gradually develop a genuine relationship, the principal said. Harmann recalled conversations he had with Lyle about his case: “Sometimes I would give him my opinion, which is something I don’t normally do with interviewees.”

It also helped that Hartmann took his time. “I didn’t have a deadline, so I had all the time in the world to talk to Lyle,” the director said. With Lyle serving a life sentence, he apparently also had plenty of time to talk.

He’s seen some of ‘Monsters,’ but he’s not comparing his doc to the scripted series

Although there have been notable dramatized adaptations of the case before — Edie Falco In 2017, she received an Emmy nomination for her role as defense attorney Leslie Abramson on NBC’s “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders”; None of them made such a big impact. “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” Netflix series from creator Ryan Murphy.

The series topped Netflix’s streaming chart, gaining more than 30 million views in its first two weeks of release. According to Nielsen data More than 2 billion minutes watched.

Hartmann said he had no idea that a high-profile scripted series about the case was also in the works when he started working on the documentary, let alone that it would be on the same streaming service and air weeks before his documentary. When the series was finally made public, he read the news in a trade publication.

Although Hartmann has watched a few episodes of “Monsters” since then, he isn’t particularly bothered by the uproar over the dramatized series based on the same crime as his new documentary; He had experienced this before.

“In the other two documentaries I made, they made a scripted series of the same story,” he said. “And that got a lot of buzz, because sometimes people think it was portrayed well. And some people think it wasn’t portrayed well. And that’s always going to happen.”

When asked about projects like “The Menendez Brothers” and “Monsters” bringing new attention to the cause, Hartmann acknowledged that the renewed attention could benefit the brothers, but noted that he could not speak for them and had not spoken to them in a long time. over a year beyond a few emails. (Production of the documentary wrapped up in 2023.)

He now believes the Menendez brothers should be released

Although Hartmann had no opinion on the litigation surrounding the project, he has since formed an opinion: He believes the brothers should be released.

(Days after our interview, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced on October 24 that he would review new evidence and recommend charging the brothers, which could lead to their immediate release after decades in prison.. A request for comment sent to Hartmann and Netflix following the news was not returned.)

“I understand the abuse they experienced and I believe them, but they committed a crime,” Harmann said. he said.

“I think they deserve punishment,” he continued. “But I think 30 years might be enough.”

Although the brothers were eventually resented and released from prison, Hartmann is grateful that his documentary and “Monsters” brought greater attention to child sexual abuse.

“I’m really happy if people are talking about it,” she said, “and I think it’s good for the community.”

“Menendez Brothers” is on air netflix.