We needed was yet another version of the murder of Jose and Kitty Menéndez like a hole in the head (maybe that was inappropriate). At least that's what I thought when I first heard about this Ryan Murphy, Netflix limited series. Yet despite myself I pressed play.

Originally I had just planned to put this on as background noise. If you know the story, the first few episodes go as expected. NBC just did a series on it with Edie Falco. They're pretty similar. Though that lacked the graphic content of sex and violence we get here.

The only reason I decided to review this is because of episode 5. It stopped me in my tracks. I put away the broom and sat down transfixed. This is a 36-minute episode filmed in one take. There's nothing fancy about it. The camera stays fixed on Erik Menéndez as he gives his account of the sexual abuse he experienced. We never leave his face. Cooper Koch deserves an Emmy for this episode alone. It's an actors dream and he nails it.

Episode 6, while more conventional in form, gives Javier Bardem time to show off his acting chops as patriarch Jose Menéndez. We get some backstory about how he met Kitty during their younger years. Chloe Sevigny, who is always a welcome presence, show various sides of Kitty. Is she the passive wife, who allows her son's to be raped or worse a participant? Or is it all just a ruse created by the brothers to gain sympathy? Even though I've heard the story many times, I somehow forgot the verdict. I could look it up but I'll finish the series to see how it all plays out.

Episode 7 also interested me as it touches on the murder of actress Dominque Dunne (best-known from "Poltergeist"). Her father Dominick, played by Nathan Lane, is an advocate for victims. He's obviously skeptical of the Menéndez brothers.

Even if you have no interest in watching it, I'd recommend Episode 5 aptly called "The Hurt Man". It's a powerful use of the medium that I won't soon forget.