Director Max Winkler recently detailed the visual and tonal direction of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story in an interview with Collider . The series depicts the 1892 axe murders in Fall River, Massachusetts, featuring Ella Beatty as the woman accused of killing her parents.
The 'on acid' philosophy of Michael Bauman and Max Winkler
To capture a sense of heightened chaos,director Max Winkler and cinematographer Michael Bauman adopted a guiding creative principle described as being "on acid." According to Collider, this mindset led the production team to reject restraint in favor of a style that felt "berserk and crazy," utilizing highly mobile camera work and the specific use of an iris effect to disorient and engage the viewer.
The collaboration between Max Winkler and Michael Bauman is rooted in a pre-existing professional shorthand, as the two previously worked together on Monster: The Ed Gein Story. Bauman, who received an Oscar nomination this year, provided the technical expertise to execute Winkler's vision of a visually unstable environment that mirrors the psychological state of the characters in 19th-century Massachusetts.
From Powell and Pressburger to the farce of Noises Off
Max Winkler drew heavily from the theatrical lighting of the directing duo Powell and Pressburger, specifically citing The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus as primary references. As reported by Collider, Winkler sought to replicate their specific English style of lighting, which utilized "very hot lights" to create a stylized, stage-like atmosphere for the Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story sets.
Beyond the lighting, the rhythmic energy of the series was inspired by the play and film Noises Off. Max Winkler integrated the elements of farce—characterized by characters constantly slamming doors and moving rapidly in and out of rooms—to inject a sense of frantic momentum into the narrative.. This blend of high-art cinema and comedic timing distinguishes this installment from the more traditional pacing of previous entries in the Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan anthology.
The USC connection and Joe Wright's tactile period style
The visual grit of the series stems from Max Winkler's time at USC film school, where he was influenced by director Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice. Both Winkler and Wright share a diagnosis of dyslexia, and Winkler found inspiration in Wright's approach to period pieces, which emphasizes a tactile, unpolished reality over sanitized historical recreations.
This influence is evident in the production design of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, where the creative team prioritized imperfections. Max Winkler specifically highlighted the use of visible sweat, peeling makeup, and deteriorating furniture to ensure the world felt lived-in and decaying, a technique he also associated with Wright's Atonement and the film Age of Innocence.
A love story hidden within a dark comedy
While previous installments of the Monster series have leaned into horror or psychological drama, Max Winkler describes this season as a dark comedy that is, at its core, a love story. This shift in tone is supported by a "zany" dialogue style that aligns with the show's erratic visual language, moving the series toward an irreverent dramedy similar to Winkler's own film Flower.
Despite the stylistic flourishes, certain questions remain regarding the execution of the show's more extreme moments. While Max Winkler discussed the technical process behind a "wild vomiting scene," the source material does not provide the perspectives of the cast or the creators, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, on how these comedic elements balance against the grim reality of the 1892 murders . It remains unclear if the "love story" angle will be a primary narrative driver or a subversive subtext throughout the season.
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