Our series on key names, genres, and movements to know about in fact-based film and television moves on to Ryan Murphy, the trailblazing producer behind some of the most high-profile and controversial “real life-inspired” shows of the past decade…
What to know about Ryan Murphy
Ryan Murphy is a multi-award-winning writer, director, showrunner, and producer. His credits include Nip/Tuck (2003-2010), Glee (2009-2015) and American Horror Story (2011-2024). However, the list also includes several notable fact-based entries.
Whether original or fact-based, Murphy isn’t afraid to tackle weighty stories and complex themes. When it comes to his real life-inspired stories, he also isn’t afraid to present controversial viewpoints and to play with history to offer up compelling and polarizing shows. His shows each have a distinctive style, blending theatrics, (sometimes dark) humor, and slick storytelling. He also works with a regular cohort of actors, such as Sarah Paulson, and often collaborates with writer Ian Brennan.
Here, we’ll introduce you to two of Murphy’s anthology series – American Crime Story (2016-2021) and Monsters (2022-2024). Between them, they cover some of the most notorious real-life characters and events of recent US history. At the end, you’ll find a fact-based TV/filmography, so you can explore more of Murphy’s real life-inspired work, as well as some further information and script links.
American Crime Story (2016-2021)
Three parts of this true crime anthology have so far been produced, the first of which arguably offers the best example of Murphy’s talent (as well as that of his collaborators) when it comes to fact-based drama. A fourth instalment is in the works about Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, founders of the iconic New York nightclub Studio 54.
The People vs O.J. Simpson
In 1994, much-loved former American football star and actor O.J. Simpson was charged with murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The whole case was a made for TV, with colourful characters, twists and turns, and memorable catchphrases, all of which built to the unexpected verdict. The drama takes us inside the whole thing – the decisions, the relationships, and the conflicts.
If there’s one real life-inspired Murphy TV drama which shows off his slick, multi-POV style at its best, it’s probably this one. Based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson (1997), the show is quite the achievement given the blanket coverage the case received, from the Bronco chase and the glove to the divisive verdict. The fact the case was so heavily covered actually works to the drama’s advantage, as the excellent cast bring it all to life across 10 compelling episodes.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace
The second part dramatizes the events surrounding the July 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace by spree-killer Andrew Cunanan. Based on the book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History (1999) by Maureen Orth, the drama weaves together Cunanan’s story and Versace’s, leading to their paths converging in Miami Beach, before the manhunt to find the killer. Other key characters are Versace’s partner Antonio D’Amico and the designer’s sister Donatella.
Again, the series takes a multi-POV approach to show us all aspects of the story, which is really the strength of these types of dramas. Invented scenes and dialogue give us a sense of what actually happened, though – as always – docudrama is just that: fiction presented as fact. Indeed, while the drama was largely well received, the Versace family called it a “work of fiction” and said the source book is full of “gossip and speculation”.
Impeachment
The third part of the anthology is different to the others as it focuses not on murder but on an affair. It might seem quite tame by today’s standards, but back in the 1990s, the idea that the US president would have an affair with an intern was a big deal. So much so that the president – Bill Clinton – faced impeachment. Of course, there was more to it, with political wranglings and FBI investigations. A key figure was Linda Tripp, who befriended the intern in question, Monica Lewinsky, and ended up recording hours of incriminating evidence.
Based on Toobin’s book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President (1999), the drama is largely told from the perspectives of Tripp and Lewinsky (who co-produced the series). This turns it into a bit of a soap opera. It also becomes quite repetitive, as a wide-eyed Lewinsky moons over Clinton, then finds herself at the centre of a media storm and dragged in to testify about the intimate details of their liaisons. Maybe it’s the subject matter, maybe the POV, but – despite some good acting – this lacks the sizzle the other parts.
Take a look at the trailer:
Monsters (2022-2024)
In this two-part anthology, Murphy delves into even darker territory, taking us into the heads of some high-profile killers. Both parts generated controversy for their treatment of the real-life people involved (some of whom are still living). At the time of writing, a third part of the anthology is planned. It will focus on serial killer Ed Gein, who reportedly inspired Psycho (1960) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).
The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Between 1978 and 1991, Dahmer killed and dismembered 17 men and boys before he was finally caught and given 16 life terms in jail. As well as the number of victims, the gruesome nature of the crimes (necrophilia, cannibalism, body parts in the freezer) ensured Dahmer’s place as one of America’s most notorious serial killers.
The very nature of Dahmer’s crimes ensures that any attempt to dramatize him and his actions would attract criticism. Even though the show spends time with victims, it also takes us back to Dahmer’s childhood, as it attempts to explain how he became a killer. In doing so, it attracted claims of glorifying Dahmer and exploiting his victims. It was also praised for how it handled the experiences of some of Dahmer’s victims and for highlighting the procedural failings which allowed him to remain free for so long.
The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
In 1989, brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of killing their wealthy parents, Jose and Kitty, in a case which gripped the nation. But were they cold-bloodied, money hungry killers or damaged, abused kids acting in self-defence? This is a question which remains unanswered in real life, so Murphy’s drama was always going to generate controversy for even attempting to take a side.
This is tricky subject matter, with even the Menendez family split over whether Lyle and Erik should have been condemned to life imprisonment. While some of the American Psycho-inspired irreverence falls a bit flat and the murders are gruesome, the acting is strong, and the drama does an impressive job of balancing the elements of the story. The fictional brothers almost become unreliable narrators as questions hang over the motivation behind their actions.
Take a look at the trailer:
Writer takeaways
Here are a few things to take away from Ryan Murphy’s TV dramas:
1. Telling stories covered in the press has pros and cons
The phrases “based on a true story” and “ripped from the headlines” attach a certain caché to a project, providing a hook for both producers and viewers. However, looking at the controversies around Murphy’s shows also highlights the pitfalls. Whether that’s attempting to dramatize stories which have had saturated media coverage (such as the O.J. case) or trying to create a narrative from disputed and unknown facts (as we saw in the Menendez drama).
2. Dealing with multi-perspectives takes skill
A related point is that when facts are disputed, the solution is often to balance POVs. The anthologies we discussed above provide three great examples. The O.J. drama masterfully gives us the perspective of all the key parties, taking us behind the scenes of the defense and prosecution, as well as O.J., Robert Kardashian, and Judge Ito. On the other hand, the Lewinsky drama’s focus on Monica’s POV makes the whole thing quite hard going, as she plows through her shunned mistress schtick. Meanwhile, the Menendez drama continually asks us (the audience) questions, as we weigh who these brothers really are – victims of appalling abuse or just really good actors.
3. Ethical questions can attach to real life-inspired material
One of the criticisms of the Dahmer dramatization (and to some extent the Menendez episodes) was how it treated the serial killer and – particularly – his victims. To put it bluntly, people who are no longer with us have no input into the process. Choosing to make the killer the protagonist means that’s whose eyes we (the audience) see the story through. This has the danger of turning the story voyeuristic, showing us a fictionalized version of the real-life victims in their violent final moments.
4. Don’t discount the power of real life-inspired drama
One of the outcomes of the Menendez drama was that the LA District Attorney’s office took another look at the case, offering up the possibility that the brothers could be released. At the time of writing, a court hearing had yet to take place. However, it shows the power that fact-based film and TV can have, even though it’s first and foremost entertainment – something which Ryan Murphy serves up time and time again.
Go further:
Netflix has a collection of articles tying in with Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. We’ve picked out this one as it’s about telling the story from different perspectives, which is one of the challenges that can arise when dramatizing history.
As Murphy says in the article:
“We ask you as the audience to make the decision about what really happened because we’re just going off research, theories, and court testimony.”
Read more in this interesting interview, in which Murphy talks about the controversy surrounding this and other fact-based shows he has created and produced.
Selected fact-based TV/filmography:
- American Sports Story (2024): The first in a planned series tells of Aaron Hernandez, a player for the New England Patriots NFL team who was convicted of murder.
- Halston (2021): A mini-series based on the life of the era-defining 1970s fashion designer.
- Feud (2017-2024): A two-part TV series – Bette and Joan tells of the feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, while Capote vs. The Swans focuses on Truman Capote and a group of New York socialites.
- The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014): A horror film based on killings which occurred in Texarkana, Texas in 1946.