Fans can't believe difference in emotion between side-by-side footage of actual Menendez trial and Netflix series

Fans have been left divided after viewing a side-by-side comparison of Netflix's Monsters and footage from Erik Menendez's trial testimony.

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's latest instalment of his anthology series Monsters (formerly Monster) has once again been a huge hit on the streaming platform.

Following its release last Thursday (19 September) the nine-episode series is currently topping the list of Netflix's most popular shows at the moment and has brought the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez back into public discussion once again.

The series follows the high-profile story of the 1989 killing of José and Kitty Menéndez as well as their sons' subsequent trials and later conviction in 1996.

Erik and Lyle's case was a hugely publicised one at the time, with the prosecution arguing that the boys had murdered their parents in cold-blooded greed while the defence stated they had acted in self-defence after suffering years of alleged sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

Both the brothers would later receive a life sentence for their actions, without the possibility of parole.

The series has since gone on to be the subject of a number of discussions online, with actors Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez receiving praise for their portrayal of the brothers as well as their resemblance to Erik and Lyle.

One particular moment which has been discussed extensively online is the decision to use the brothers' testimonies verbatim in the series, with a number of side-by-side comparisons doing the rounds on social media in the following days.

In episodes eight and nine, the brothers take to the stand in an attempt to defend themselves, with a TikTok later comparing Koch's performance with footage from the trial recorded by CourtTV.

The clip shows Erik being interviewed by his defence attorney Leslie Abramson, who asks what was the originating cause of them deciding to shoot their parents.

In both Koch's performance and Erik's real testimony both men can be seen struggling to get their words out, eventually saying that it was Erik revealing the alleged abuse he'd suffered to Lyle which was a turning point for them.

Both clips are emotionally charged, however viewers have still been taken aback by how raw the real testimony was.

"This is a real testament to Cooper Koch’s performance. It’s insanely good," one person wrote, while a second added: "Cooper is definitely winning an Emmy!"

However others wished the dramatisation had gone even further with their depiction of the trial, with a third person writing: "The real one is so much more emotional."

This isn't the first time Koch's acting has been praised by viewers either, with fans saying the actor 'deserves an award' for his performance in episode five, 'The Hurt Man'.