TV fans know him well: Ryan Murphy is someone you either love or hate. And opinions about his series can be decidedly divided. This is because, if there’s a creator who in recent years has shown no fear of shedding one skin to take on another, it’s him. A screenwriter, director, and producer among the most prolific figures in contemporary American television, Murphy has built a recognizable universe inhabited by quirky characters, carefully crafted visuals, distinctive atmospheres, and genres that span a wide spectrum. Horror, thriller, drama, dark comedy, satire, biopic, and historical storytelling: as a showrunner, he has demonstrated that elements that initially seem far apart can coexist within a single series.
One of the defining traits of his working method is also the talent for surrounding himself with collaborators with whom he has forged, over the years, a highly productive artistic partnership. Among his most important collaborators are Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk, with whom Murphy has shared some of his most celebrated projects. If we were to look for a common thread in Ryan Murphy’s “poetics,” we would probably find it in his characters, almost all of whom are defined by personalities that defy convention. They are often outsiders who embody the contradictions of American society, edge toward the margins, or conceal a second face behind an outwardly normal façade. And while excess is evident in some of his projects, in others there is a more pronounced interest in history, discrimination, ambition, and power.
All Ryan Murphy TV Series to Stream on Netflix
Collaboration with Netflix has given rise to a particularly intriguing portion of his output. Alongside biographical miniseries like Halston, comedies such as The Politician, and thrillers like The Watcher, Murphy has been able to nourish his passion for true crime, especially through Monster – the anthology that brought to the screen some of the most famous American criminals, including the latest entry, Lizzie Borden. But Monster is only a fragment of Murphy’s television endeavor. If you’ve already watched Monster: The Lizzie Borden Case and wonder what to catch up on next, here are all ten Ryan Murphy TV series produced for Netflix, listed in alphabetical order.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
The first season of the Monster anthology brings to the screen the life of Jeffrey Dahmer, the American serial killer portrayed by Evan Peters. The series goes beyond simply recounting his crimes; it also strives to illuminate the environment that allowed him to operate for years, focusing on the victims and the people who had attempted to alert the authorities. It ranks among the darkest productions in Murphy’s Netflix catalog and it marked the debut of the anthology devoted to infamous American criminals.
Halston
From horror to the fashion world, Murphy’s transition is surprisingly swift. Halston is a biographical limited series dedicated to the renowned American designer Roy Halston Frowick, played by Ewan McGregor. The narrative traverses the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, charting Halston’s ascent in the fashion industry, his international success, the social whirl, and the excesses that accompanied his career. Beside him is Liza Minnelli, portrayed by Krysta Rodriguez, in a story that entwines fashion, celebrity, friendship, ambition, and self-destruction. It stands as one of Murphy’s most elegant and visually spectacular works, centered around a protagonist as talented as he is tormented.
Hollywood
And what if history could be rewritten? That is the premise behind Hollywood, a miniseries set in postwar Los Angeles that imagines a film industry unlike the one that actually existed. The series follows a group of aspiring actors, screenwriters, and directors as they fight to break into the world of entertainment. At the heart of the narrative is the plan to make a film written by a gay African American author and starring a Black female lead—a project that, in the Hollywood of that era, would have faced enormous obstacles. Murphy and Ian Brennan thus construct a kind of alternative history of American cinema, not erasing racism, sexism, and homophobia from the equation, but wondering what might have happened if people historically excluded from the system had a better chance at success.
The Andy Warhol Diaries
From serial killers to Pop Art, The Andy Warhol Diaries, of which Murphy serves as executive producer, reveals another facet of his creative work. It is a six-episode docuseries that chronicles the artist’s life through his diaries, tracing his career, relationships, and the complexity of his personality. From the distance to fame to romances, weaving through New York in the sixties and seventies, the documentary offers an intimate portrait of one of the most influential figures in contemporary art.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story
With Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Murphy and Brennan return to true crime to examine one of the most unsettling criminals in American history. Set in Wisconsin in the 1950s, the series follows Ed Gein, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam, also known for the grave desecrations and murders that shocked the Plainfield community. Gein’s tale has embedded itself in popular culture, shaping some of the most iconic monsters in horror cinema. Yet the series aims not merely to reconstruct the crimes; it also centers on the family and social environment that surrounded Gein.
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Case
It is the latest entry among Murphy’s Netflix nine-series lineup. Monster: The Lizzie Borden Case centers on one of America’s most famous true crime episodes from the late 19th century. Ella Beatty portrays Lizzie Borden, a young woman from a wealthy Fall River, Massachusetts family, accused in 1892 of the axe murders of her father and stepmother. The trial turned the case into a nationwide phenomenon and, more than a century later, the mystery continues to provoke questions and various interpretations. The cast also includes Billie Lourd and Sarah Paulson, the latter playing the serial killer Aileen Wuornos. The result is a storytelling approach that uses the Borden case to explore themes of repression, female anger, and violence.
Monster: The Menendez Murders
The second installment of the Monster anthology shifts focus to Lyle and Erik Menendez, the brothers convicted of murdering their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, in 1996. The series reconstructs the case from multiple angles. The prosecution argued that the brothers killed their parents to claim the family inheritance; the brothers, for their part, have contended that their acts were tied to years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse they say they endured at home.
Ratched
Before Monster, Murphy had already demonstrated a particular fondness for eerie characters. Ratched therefore emerges with the aim of telling the events that preceded One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, giving a backstory to the terrifying nurse Mildred Ratched. Sarah Paulson portrays a poised, calculating, and seemingly unflappable Mildred who arrives at Lucia State Hospital in 1947. The series reimagines an iconic character, turning her into a complex protagonist and pairing the narrative with meticulously crafted sets, costumes, and color palettes.
The Politician
The Politician takes Murphy into an entirely different terrain: satirical comedy. The central character is Payton Hobart, played by Ben Platt, a fabulously wealthy student obsessed with becoming the President of the United States. But his immediate goal is closer to home: to win the student council presidency at his prestigious high school. Through electoral strategy, manipulation, unlikely alliances, and a cast of eccentric characters, the series blends dark comedy, political satire, and heartfelt moments. If you loved Glee, one of Murphy’s most emblematic shows, The Politician comes closest to recapturing that vibe.
The Watcher
A family, a dream home, and a series of unsettling letters. The Watcher is a thriller inspired by a true story that follows Dean and Nora Brannock, played by Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts, after they move into their new residence. Soon after settling in, the couple begins receiving letters from someone who signs as “The Watcher.” The messages grow increasingly menacing, and the family starts to suspect everyone: from neighbors to anyone who frequents the neighborhood.
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