Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology reaches its most disturbing chapter yet with The Ed Gein Story, premiering October 3 on Netflix. Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam transforms into the notorious Wisconsin killer whose 1950s crimes inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs in what Murphy calls the series’ “darkest season yet.”
Monster The Ed Gein Story Production & Cast
Created by Murphy and Ian Brennan, Monster: The Ed Gein Story features an exceptional ensemble including Laurie Metcalf as Ed’s domineering mother Augusta, Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock, and Olivia Williams as Alma Reville. The casting of Hollander proves particularly intriguing, as Hitchcock created Psycho partly inspired by Gein’s twisted relationship with his deceased mother.
Filming occurred primarily in Chicago from October 2024 through February 2025, with Murphy and Brennan writing all eight episodes. Supporting cast includes Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Joey Pollari as Anthony Perkins, Tyler Jacob Moore as Sheriff Schley, and Will Brill as director Tobe Hooper, creating connections between Gein’s real crimes and their fictional interpretations.
The Real Ed Gein’s Horrific Legacy
Monster: The Ed Gein Story depicts Gein’s 1957 arrest following the disappearance of hardware store owner Bernice Worden. Police discovered Worden’s body alongside disturbing human remains fashioned into household items belts made from flesh, lampshades from faces, and numerous bone fragments throughout his Plainfield farmhouse.
Gein confessed to murdering two women but was suspected of additional deaths. Found “not guilty by reason of insanity” in 1968, he spent the remainder of his life in mental institutions until his 1984 death. His crimes’ cultural impact extends far beyond the murder count, establishing the template for fictional killers that continue haunting popular culture today.
Controversy
The Monster Ed Gein Story faces criticism for Murphy’s pattern of casting conventionally attractive actors as serial killers. Social media already features “Hail Sexy Gein!” threads, echoing similar reactions to Evan Peters’ Jeffrey Dahmer portrayal. However, Netflix defends the casting choices as necessary for exploring how society transforms killers into cultural icons.
Hunnam acknowledged the role’s psychological demands during production: “Playing someone this disturbed requires finding darkness within yourself that you hope never existed. The responsibility to victims and their families weighs heavily throughout filming.” The actor underwent extensive research, studying police reports and psychiatric evaluations to understand Gein’s deteriorating mental state.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story premieres with all eight episodes October 3, continuing Netflix’s dominance in true crime content while examining how real-life horrors become entertainment commodities that shape our collective nightmares.
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