Monster (2024 TV Series)
| Monster | |
|---|---|
| File:Monster Dorian Kane Title.png Official series logo | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | |
| Developed by | Mob Productions |
| Showrunners |
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| Starring | See cast below |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Cinematography | Jordan Stillman |
| Editors |
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| Running time | 44–61 minutes |
| Production company | Mob Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | December 1, 2024 – present |
Monster is an American biographical crime drama anthology television series created by Freddie Goodwin and Leo Bennett for Netflix. Goodwin and Bennett both serve as showrunners. The series follows the lives of "monstrous figures", with each season focusing on a different killer or group of killers.
The first season, The Dorian Kane Story, focuses on serial killer Dorian Kane (Russell Crowe), and was released on Netflix on December 1, 2024. The series was initially conceived as a limited series, but was renewed for a second and third season in January 2025. The second season, The Dragons Mafia Story, focuses on a series of disappearances linked to a criminal syndicate operating across the American Southwest in the late 1990s (Charlie Hunnam as Detective Julian Marr and Shohreh Aghdashloo as mafia matriarch Samira Zadeh), and is set to be released on October 10, 2025. In June 2025, the third season, titled The White Church Tapes, was announced to be focusing on cult leader Isaiah Glass (Tahar Rahim).
The first two seasons received mixed reviews from critics but were ultimately a commercial success, both reaching the number-one spot on Netflix in the first week of their release. The Dorian Kane Story became Netflix’s fourth most-watched English-language series of all time within 28 days, and the fifth Netflix series to pass 900 million hours viewed in 60 days. It received three nominations at the 81st Golden Globe Awards and five nominations at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards. Crowe won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, while Jurnee Smollett was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Premise[edit | edit source]
Monster is a season-based anthology series. Each installment dramatizes a criminal case rooted in reality, blending fact with fiction to explore the personal, social, and institutional factors that shaped both the killer and the investigation. The series aims to highlight flaws in the justice system while presenting character-driven psychological thrillers.
Cast and characters[edit | edit source]
The Dorian Kane Story[edit | edit source]
- Russell Crowe as Dorian Kane, a manipulative and brilliant serial killer with a background in theology and law. Despite a calm public persona, Kane hides a monstrous appetite for control, violence, and ritualistic murder.
- Charlie Hunnam as Elias Shore, a seasoned FBI profiler tasked with tracking Kane. Haunted by his past failures, Shore becomes obsessed with the case.
- Jurnee Smollett as Dr. Alina Voss, a trauma psychologist who works with survivors and helps decode Kane’s behavioral patterns.
- Sam Worthington as Captain Ross Kessler, head of the interstate task force pursuing Kane.
- Sophia Lillis as Riley Boone, a teenage escapee who becomes a key witness.
- Carrie Coon as Maureen Kane, Dorian’s estranged sister, who holds dark secrets of their childhood.
The Dragons Mafia Story[edit | edit source]
- Michael Mando as Emilio Serrano: The elder brother and strategic leader of the Dragons Mafia, known for his brutal methods and public image as a philanthropist.
- Ben Barnes as Rafael Serrano: The younger brother, charismatic and devout, whose descent into religious mania threatens the family's foundation.
- Giancarlo Esposito as Agent Solomon Greer: A calculating FBI veteran obsessed with dismantling the Dragons from within.
- Camila Morrone as Luna Serrano: Rafael’s wife, caught between loyalty, trauma, and her own secrets.
- Raúl Castillo as Hector Reyes: A loyal enforcer whose past ties to Emilio place him at the heart of the Dragons’ collapse.
- Sarah Shahi as Nadine Vos: A political consultant turned whistleblower with firsthand knowledge of the Dragons’ infiltration into government.
Series overview[edit | edit source]
| Season | Title | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Dorian Kane Story | 10 | December 1, 2024 | ||
| 2 | The Dragons Mafia Story | 10 | October 10, 2025 | ||
| 3 | The White Church Tapes Story | TBA | TBA | ||
Season 1: The Dorian Kane Story (2024)[edit | edit source]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Don't Step On The Yard!" | Leo Bennett | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
| 2 | 2 | "Those Who Vanish" | Freddie Goodwin | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
| 3 | 3 | "The Baptism of Silence" | Elise Monroe | Leo Bennett, Maddison Crowley | December 1, 2024 |
| 4 | 4 | "The Shepherd and the Wolves" | Freddie Goodwin | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
| 5 | 5 | "Kill oBe Killed or Kill" | Maddison Crowley | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
| 6 | 6 | "A Prophet in the Dust" | Elise Monroe | Leo Bennett, Joshua Kai | December 1, 2024 |
| 7 | 7 | "Buried in the Fold" | Leo Bennett | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
| 8 | 8 | "The Scarlet Psalm" | Daniel Kroft | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
| 9 | 9 | "Ashes of the Covenant" | Freddie Goodwin | Leo Bennett, Elise Monroe | December 1, 2024 |
| 10 | 10 | "Deliver Us" | Leo Bennett | Leo Bennett | December 1, 2024 |
Season 2: The Dragons Mafia Story (2025)[edit | edit source]
The second season will consist of 10 episodes.
Season 3: The White Church Tapes Story (TBA)[edit | edit source]
Production[edit | edit source]
Development[edit | edit source]
The concept for Monster originated in late 2019 when Freddie Goodwin began outlining a serialized anthology exploring criminal psychology. Goodwin partnered with longtime collaborator Leo Bennett to refine the format and structure the first season around the fictional case of Dorian Kane, which drew thematic influence from real-world unsolved cases and media sensationalism.
Netflix acquired distribution rights in mid-2021, though funding was largely secured independently by Mob Productions. The creative team prioritized emotional authenticity and realism, consulting with criminologists, former detectives, and psychologists throughout development.
Casting[edit | edit source]
Casting began in 2022 with Russell Crowe confirmed early on for the role of Kane. Goodwin stated that Crowe’s ability to shift between warmth and menace was “exactly what the character demanded.” Charlie Hunnam was brought in to play Elias Shore, a role written specifically for him. The ensemble cast features both A-list stars and emerging talent.
Filming[edit | edit source]
Principal photography took place between June and September 2022 in various U.S. cities, including Atlanta, New York, and Chicago. Production featured the use of practical sets for Kane’s ritual sites and police investigation rooms, with lighting and color design aimed at reinforcing the show’s psychological unease.
Release[edit | edit source]
Monster: The Dorian Kane Story was released globally via Netflix on December 1, 2024. All ten episodes were made available simultaneously. A red-band trailer released in October attracted controversy due to its graphic content, which the creators defended as necessary for truthfully depicting trauma and violence.
Reception[edit | edit source]
Critical response[edit | edit source]
The series received mixed-to-positive reviews. Critics praised Russell Crowe’s haunting portrayal and the series' commitment to exploring deeper psychological and societal themes. However, some expressed concern that the show “walks a fine line” between representation and glorification of violence.
Rotten Tomatoes reported a 73% approval rating for the first season based on 48 reviews. Metacritic gave it a score of 66 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable reviews.”
Viewer response[edit | edit source]
Despite the polarizing critical reception, the series quickly rose to become Netflix’s number one most-watched English-language TV series during its first two weeks of release, amassing over 430 million hours watched within 14 days.
Controversies[edit | edit source]
The series was criticized by some viewers for its explicit depiction of violence and the psychological intensity of certain episodes. Advocacy groups raised ethical concerns regarding its potential impact on survivors and families of real-life victims, although Netflix maintained that the show was a work of fiction inspired by composite elements of historical crimes.
See also[edit | edit source]
Notes[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
- Pages with script errors
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- 2020s American anthology television series
- 2024 American television series debuts
- Netflix original programming
- English-language Netflix original programming
- Television series about serial killers
- Crime television series
- Psychological thriller television series
- American crime drama television series