Content Warning: This story contains mentions of violence.
The recent frequency of gory true-crime films has certainly not slowed with “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” releasing on Oct. 3.
“The Ed Gein Story” is the third installment of the “Monster” series created by Ryan Murphy. The first two seasons followed the cases of cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer and the murderers, the Menendez brothers, respectively.
While Ed Gein may not be a household name, his murderous legacy has inspired horror classics like “Psycho,” “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “The Silence of the Lambs.” Other serial killers attribute the inspiration behind their methods to him.
Gein, also known as the “Butcher of Plainfield,” continues to be a fascination of the public. “Monster” follows his horrific crimes, ranging from suspected chainsaw murders to grave-digging and necrophilia.
“Monster: The Ed Gein Story” sets itself apart from the other installments in the series which had audiences swooning over main characters with an “I can fix him” energy. In contrast, Charlie Hunnam’s Gein has an offputting demeanor and a child-like high-pitched voice. He uses his innocent and unassuming appearance to stay out of suspicion until his arrest at 51 years old.
Emerging pop star and TikTok sensation Addison Rae makes an appearance in the show as one of Gein’s victims. While her time on screen is brief, she does deliver a pleasantly convincing performance as town babysitter Evelyn Hartley.
The show does, however, embrace Gein’s influence by inserting a future timeline, featuring the making of “Psycho” and clips from “The Silence of the Lambs.” From Gein’s connection to modern horror movies to his obsession with Nazi war criminal Ilse Koch, I was frequently reaching for my phone to look up whether each detail really happened.
“Monster: The Ed Gein Story” was gory and graphic, to be sure. While watching, I found myself with my mouth agape for several minutes at a time. From rotting bodies to skin sewn into household objects, the show spared no freaky details.
Unlike other recent shows about Gein, “Monster” dug into why he did what he did. His deep “mommy issues” and undiagnosed schizophrenia were explored, as in reality, he claimed to be unaware of most of his horrific crimes and focused on his need to please his mother.
While “Monster” does not attempt to justify Gein’s crimes, it provides an in-depth understanding of Gein’s motivation. As Gein was determined psychologically incapable of standing trial, he spent his final days in a psychiatric facility where he was eventually overcome by lung cancer. Watchers may sympathize with Gein as they watch him (fictionally) help law enforcement catch other notorious killers like Ted Bundy at the end of the show.
Ultimately, “Monster” reveals the unexplored backstory of one of America’s most notorious serial killers.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Reel Thoughts: ‘House of Guinness’ is the perfect pint-sized historical drama
— Reel Thoughts: ‘The Paper’ cast discusses newspaper mockumentary, shines light on local journalism
— Reel Thoughts: ‘Twinless’ is the best movie of the year that you’ve probably never heard of
