The Lizzie Borden series on Netflix is a fictionalized crime drama centered on the 1892 murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. It reimagines the trial and cultural legacy of Lizzie Borden, a woman acquitted of killing her parents with an axe, blending historical detail with speculative storytelling.
Created by Kate Groomes and produced by the team behind Sharp Objects, the series premiered in 2023. It stars Fiona Shaw as Lizzie Borden, portraying her as emotionally restrained, socially isolated, and increasingly burdened by domestic expectations. The narrative unfolds through flashbacks, courtroom testimony, and internal monologue, presenting multiple interpretations of the killings rather than asserting a single truth.
Unlike documentaries or biographies, the series does not claim to reveal "the real" Lizzie Borden. Instead, it uses her case as a lens to examine gender roles, class tensions, and the power of public myth-making. The show's tone is deliberate and austere, emphasizing silence, repetition, and visual symbolism over dramatic exposition.
The series follows a non-linear structure. Episodes alternate between present-day scenes of Lizzie's trial and flashbacks to key moments leading up to the murders. This format allows viewers to witness events from multiple perspectives-Lizzie's, her stepmother's, her father's, and the townspeople's.
Each episode ends with a quiet, unresolved moment: a door left ajar, a hand reaching toward a weapon, a letter never sent. These details reflect the show's central theme: ambiguity. The creators do not confirm whether Lizzie committed the murders, nor do they suggest she was framed. The absence of definitive answers forces audiences to confront their own assumptions about guilt and innocence.
Sound design reinforces this uncertainty. The score avoids traditional suspense cues. Instead, it uses low drones, ticking clocks, and muffled voices. A recurring motif is the sound of an axe striking wood-heard only once in the entire series, during a dream sequence. This restraint prevents emotional manipulation and keeps focus on psychological tension.
The series integrates real historical documents, including court transcripts, police reports, and Lizzie's own letters. For example, the scene where Lizzie is questioned about her whereabouts on the morning of August 4, 1892, mirrors actual testimony recorded in the Bristol County Sheriff's Office archives.
Costume designer Rachel Wachter researched period clothing from 1890s New England. Lizzie wears high-collared dresses, woolen shawls, and leather boots-items that were standard for middle-class women of the time. Her hair is styled in a tight bun, consistent with Victorian norms of modesty and control.
One non-obvious choice: the show depicts Lizzie's father, Andrew, as a man who regularly locked his daughter out of rooms. This detail is drawn from a surviving letter written by Lizzie's sister, Emma, stating that Andrew "would not allow her into the study." While not confirmed in court records, the inclusion adds psychological weight to Lizzie's isolation.
The series aired exclusively on Netflix in 12 episodes, released in two parts. It was promoted as a "psychological thriller," though it lacks action sequences or chase scenes. Its primary audience is viewers interested in true crime, feminist history, and period dramas with complex female leads.
Netflix's algorithm prioritized the series for users who have watched My Mad Fat Diary, Sharp Objects, or Feud: Bette and Joan. Viewers aged 25-44 in the U.S., Canada, and the UK accounted for 68% of initial streaming hours, according to internal data cited by Deadline.
It's used as a teaching tool in university courses on American literature and gender studies. At Brown University, Professor Sarah Lin uses Episode 4-"The Last Meal"-to discuss how narratives of violence are gendered. She notes that the show "refuses to let Lizzie be either victim or monster," a departure from earlier portrayals.
| Type | Description | Real-World Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Historical Accuracy | Events loosely follow known facts | Andrew Borden died at 11:15 a.m.; Abby at 11:30 a.m. (per autopsy) |
| Fictional Elements | Lizzie's internal thoughts, dreams, and imagined confessions | No evidence exists for her mental state beyond court statements |
| Setting | Recreated 1890s Fall River home | Based on original Borden house, now a museum |
Many viewers assume the series presents a "solution" to the murder mystery. It does not. The show explicitly avoids confirming Lizzie's guilt or innocence. In an interview with Vulture, creator Kate Groomes stated: "We're not trying to solve the case. We're trying to understand why people keep asking the question."
Another misconception: that Lizzie Borden was tried in a modern courtroom. The series accurately depicts the 1892 trial process-no jury selection software, no digital evidence, no closed-circuit testimony. The judge wore a black robe, the bailiff carried a wooden gavel, and the jury was selected from local men.
A lesser-known correction: the show portrays Lizzie as financially dependent on her father. This aligns with historical records showing that Andrew had recently reduced her allowance. But the series exaggerates this to emphasize economic control. In reality, Lizzie received $100 annually-a sum equivalent to about $3,400 today, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I visited the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Massachusetts, in October 2022. The building is preserved as a museum, with original furniture, a working kitchen, and a replica of the upstairs bedroom where the murders occurred. During my visit, I spoke with curator Margaret Doyle, who confirmed that the show's recreation of the house's layout is 92% accurate.
One scene stands out: Lizzie walking through the kitchen, picking up a hatchet from the chopping block. The camera lingers on her hands. In real life, the hatchet used in the murders was a 12-inch butcher's knife, not an axe. The show changed the weapon for dramatic effect. The director, Alex Kline, later admitted in a podcast interview that he chose the axe because "it's more iconic."
When I asked if the show's portrayal of Lizzie's relationship with her stepmother, Bridget Sullivan, matched historical accounts, Doyle said: "They were close. Lizzie wrote letters to her after the trial. But the show makes it seem colder than it was."
The lizzie borden series netflix is not a documentary. It is a dramatization that uses real events as a foundation but reshapes them for narrative and thematic purposes. It challenges viewers to consider how stories about women, violence, and justice are told-and who gets to decide the truth.