Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story star reveals how a chest magnet was used to shoot brutal axe murder scene

Bringing a notorious true-crime case to the screen is no easy feat but Ella Beatty and the Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story cast are up for this task. Netflix is gearing up for the release of the next chapter in Ryan Murphy's Monster anthology series, which will center on Lizzie Borden (Beatty), the murder suspect who was tried and acquitted for the 1892 axe murders of her father, Andrew Borden (played by Charlie Hunnam), and stepmother, Abby Borden (played by Rebecca Hall) in Fall River, Massachusetts.

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story takes on the infamous axe killings with a production that has gone to surprising lengths to make the violence feel authentic.

Beatty recently appeared on Emmy-winner Jake Hamilton's podcast Jake's Takes and reflected on how the crew brought the brutal axe murder scene to life. The actress reflected on how the crew used fake blood, a chest magnet and blood rings to bring the infamous Victorian-era dual homicide to the screen.

This is how the brutal axe murder scene came to life in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story

Before the Netflix premiere of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Beatty reflects on filming the brutal axe murder scene in the series. Naturally, for a series charting the infamous dual murders in 1892, bringing the brutal murder scenes to life on the screen was important.

While Lizzie Borden was legally acquitted of the crime, she remains connected to the hatchet murders of her father and stepmother. While Lizzie's stepmother Abby Borden was struck 19 times in the head with a hatchet-like weapon upstairs in the guest room, her father, Andrew, was struck 10 or 11 times in the face while resting on the downstairs sitting room sofa, bringing the total whacking count to roughly 30.

In an interview with Jake Hamilton, Hall revealed that to film the axe murder scene, she had to wear a magnet on her chest to draw the axe into the body. Beatty credited the crew for pulling this difficult stunt visually on camera:

"Oh, it [the chest magnet] was epic. It was epic. Yes. The crew on this show — and you know what was pulled off visually on camera — is so incredible, and everyone was working at such a high level. I had forgotten about the chest magnet axe but that is everything."

Looking back on filming the scene in Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Beatty admitted she was more focused on avoiding injuries, especially to Rebecca Hall, who was on the receiving end of the axe as Abby Borden.

In another interview with Netflix Tudum, Beatty revealed that the crew used a blood ring to splatter fake blood on her face. The Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story trailer shows Beatty's Lizzie walking in her house, covered in blood, which has become one of the most haunting images from the show.

Beatty recalled that the production used many techniques to bring that blood-soaked imagery to life, from makeup brushes to a blood ring:

“Sometimes the blood on my face was hand-painted with makeup brushes. Sometimes it was literally poured onto me. Sometimes it came from what’s called a blood rig, so every time I would slam an axe onto the blood rig, fake blood would shoot out.”

The Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story actress revealed that she was so adept at filming with fake blood that by the time the production wrapped, she had mastered the trick of removing it from her hands: with shaving cream.

Ella Beatty's reveal highlights the crew’s commitment to authenticity in bringing the infamous Borden murders to life. The meticulous approach adds a chilling sense of realism to the retelling without compromising the cast's safety.

In addition to Beatty, Hall and Hunnam, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story stars Vicky Krieps, Jessica Barden, Sarah Paulson, Joey Pollari and Billie Lourd.

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Tune in to Monster 4 on Netflix on September 17.

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