Monster: The Ed Gein Story | Review

It's undeniable that the released, accessible information regarding the series of horrors surrounding Ed Gein has had a major influence, not only on cinema / media, but also on society and our understanding of 'serial killers'. It would also be disingenuous to exclude the fact that misconception, speculation and general fictitious liberties have muddied truth and facts surrounding the original events.

Considering the previous two series conflated a lot of details and / or mixed a considerable amount of fiction - that received criticism - this series continues that trend. We would also have to acknowledge, the show(s) aren't documentaries, or to be seen as accurate / faithful depictions from the perspectives of the focus killers. To expect complete fidelity, with the absence of creative liberties going into the show would be a disservice to the viewer and a pinch of salt is definitely advised.

Although there is very little point in arguing fidelity to the documented facts, I did find myself discussing certain aspects with the oracle of US crime / serial killers (my wife) and became increasingly frustrated as the show continued. Knowing that Gein is documented to have murdered two (2) people, whilst notoriously grave robbing countless bodies, Gein was also described as an odd, but child-like member of the community - something very different to the many scenes framed to continue an air of dread, as well as the speculative involvement with other missing person(s) cases e.g. the missing hunters & kidnapped babysitter.

Granted, if they hadn't included much of the filler and decided to condense the show to only include confirmed information, we'd likely have had a much lower number of episodes. A considerable amount dedicated to sub-plots / supporting characters would be reduced and would have the potential to create a more even pacing.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story | Review

That being said, including these moments did enable the creators to infer the likenesses - and reference - to films that were inspired by Gein's horrific story. An example being, the babysitter tied to a chair in their underwear - similar to Sally in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - before jumping forward in time to a re-enactment of the inferred scene in Tobe Hooper's classic slasher. As a horror nerd, I immediately thought of the scene prior to the jump and felt a sense of enjoyment / pride as a result.

At first, I enjoyed these time jumps to the products created from the released information on Gein e.g. Psycho (book, then film), Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs, it became increasingly tiresome. This was especially evident through the frequency of time jumping to the influenced, whilst simultaneously also jumping to express the general passages of time.

This did create a slight air of confusion, especially when factoring in the unreliable narrator's psyche. Although admirable to try and represent a complex mental condition - schizophrenia - by distorting time and interactions, this unfortunately exacerbated the unintentional convolution of the overall edited timeline.

Charlie Hunnam's physical performance was decent, varying in emotion and presenting an unnerving presence - worthy of the films Gein's actions inspired - but also presenting a tragic persona, of a person with psychological troubles that warped their sense of morality. Albeit, it did feel somewhat inappropriate to portray sympathy whilst remembering the atrocities that were inflicted on both the living and the dead, at the hands of Gein - regardless of motive and / or 'reasoning'.

I have to confess, the voice was a miss for me. There are articles justifying the decision to have a higher pitched voice, many of which cite the almost complete absence of audio recordings and documented descriptions of Gein's voice as 'high and soft'. However, you can hear Gein's voice pitch in the - previously unreleased - audio, as part of a 4-part series from 2019, Psycho: The Lost Tapes of Ed Gein. Although the pitch is higher, Hunnam does match Gein's unusual accent and cadence incredibly well.

Lastly - and reluctantly - let's talk about the elephant in the room, the horror / gore elements. Note; I say reluctantly, as there's something uncomfortable discussing replication of individual factual events for entertainment, as opposed to fictitious events of a similar nature.

The practical effects are extremely well done, from the skin suits / furniture to the indignified abuse of the bodies. Gein's home is incredibly grotesque and - for me - captures what had been originally photographed and described in formal documents of the nightmare the police encounter back in 1957.

Despite the efforts of everyone involved, the show as a whole is nothing more than a tiresome - at times, incoherent - unnecessary exploitation of horrific real life events that felt like an utter chore to sit through. However, if you enjoyed Dahmer & Monsters, you'll likely enjoy this one.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is now streaming on Netflix.