Netflix's Monsters: The Lizzie Borden Story has sparked discussion online after a scene in its second episode prompted viewers to warn others about a condition known as emetophobia.
What emetophobia means
Emetophobia describes an intense fear of vomiting, vomit itself, or watching others vomit or feel nauseous. It's a recognised phobia, with an estimated two to seven percent of the population affected. Those with emetophobia may experience severe panic and anxiety, often going to significant lengths to avoid any contact with vomit in daily life.
The scene causing discussion
The episode in question shows Lizzie and the family's maid serving oysters to Mr and Mrs Borden with the intention of poisoning them, a plan that results in extensive projectile vomiting on screen. A dedicated Reddit community for emetophobia now hosts a thread with dozens of comments warning others ahead of watching. One user called the episode "an emetophobe's nightmare," while another wrote: "I watched the episode last night and would have loved to have seen this warning prior. I also hate vomiting and vomit. I have overcome a lot of it as I have aged. But that episode made me so sick watching it."
How the scene was filmed
Director Max Winkler told Entertainment Weekly he spent hours researching theatrical vomiting techniques, describing coordinating the scene as one of the hardest things he's ever done. He explained the process involved a dry run without any vomit, followed by testing tubes to determine the right distance and intensity for the effect, before performers began working with the actual substance in their mouths.
Rebecca Hall, who plays stepmother Abby Borden, admitted she isn't fond of vomit herself, saying: "I'm not good with icky stuff, and I'm really not good with vomiting. I have like a hair trigger empathetic response, and I will immediately start [vomiting]." Charlie Hunnam, who plays Lizzie's father Andrew, said the experience of being covered in fake vomit and diarrhoea for a full day of filming was genuinely uncomfortable given his own aversion to mess, adding: "It seemed like it was gonna require being very, very uncomfortable and, you know, I'm kind of a germaphobe. So even if it's fake vomit, being covered head to toe in vomit and diarrhoea for the day did not seem like a particularly enjoyable experience. And indeed it wasn't."
All eight episodes of Monsters: The Lizzie Borden Story are available to stream on Netflix now.
