Menendez brother actor in 'traumatising' horror film that's 'not for the squeamish'

A Netflix drama inspired by the chilling real-life case of two brothers who murdered their parents in the eighties has taken the streaming platform by storm, with viewers eager to learn more about the actual events that took place.

The series, titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, created by Ryan Murphy, has reignited interest in the case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were found guilty of killing their parents at their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.

The dramatisation features Cooper Koch as Erik and Nicholas Chavez as Lyle, with Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny playing their doomed parents Jose and Kitty Menendez. It is a sequel to the streaming service's previous success, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which saw Evan Peters portraying the notorious serial killer.

A third series focusing on Ed Gein, a murderer and grave-robber active in the 1950s, has already been given the green light.

Koch's portrayal of Erik has received widespread acclaim from viewers, particularly for his performance in the series' fifth episode The Hurt Man, where his character finally reveals the abuse he endured from his father. The heart-wrenching scene was shot in one continuous take, with a script that covered 34 pages, reports the Mirror.

Fans of the actor are now uncovering his lesser-known role in a disturbing horror film that viewers have described as a "traumatising" watch. Koch took on the role of Benjamin in the horror/thriller film Swallowed, which was released in the UK in 2023.

Directed by Carter Smith, the plot revolves around two friends who decide to have one last night of partying before they part ways. Benjamin, played by Koch, is about to leave his friend Dom, portrayed by Jose Colon, in Maine to pursue a career in the porn industry in LA.

Their celebratory night takes an unexpected turn when they agree to a last-minute drug smuggling job. They swallow packages believing them to contain drugs, but soon discover that the contents are not as they had anticipated. The film's synopsis reveals that the duo "must fight to survive a night of drugs, bugs and horrific chaos."

Swallowed has received an 82 per cent rating from critics on review site Rotten Tomatoes, with the audience score slightly lower at 73 per cent. One critic described Cooper Koch as "the best part of Swallowed", while another labelled it "a lean and mean horror film with a[n] LGBTQ twist and solid performances and taut direction."

Another reviewer cautioned viewers on what was to come, stating: "The body horror in Swallowed is a different kind of disturbing, because, well, you have to get the drugs out of Dom somehow. It's not for the squeamish."

Meanwhile Los Angeles Times critic Noel Murray hailed the "memorably intense experience", adding that it had "sharp points to make about how the lives of outsiders and outlaws can tip in an instant into sloppy chaos."

Swallowed is currently available to watch on NOW TV with a premium subscription. It's also available on to rent on YouTube, Prime Video, Google Play Movies and Apple TV.