Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Charlie Hunnam does an admirable job as Ed Gein. The British actor is a changed man; he’s completely and literally transformed to play the role. (He reportedly suffered panic attacks and insecurities getting into character for the role.) The cinematography and set design are also noteworthy. The rundown farmhouse in Wisconsin, the sterile, drab furniture and set pieces, and the ominous, overcast skies all contribute to a sense of claustrophobia and a gradual feeling that Gein is being eaten up by the land.

However, I found it a bit hard to follow at times. It jumps around in time periods, and its fictional subplots were unnecessary and distracting. Also, it crosses the line of the telling the story of one of America’s most vicious killers and often glorifies and sensationalizes him. The series is so gory and gratuitous at times that some reviews have called it “exploitation cinema.”

Yet, it is not without its charms and merits. Laurie Metcalf, as Gein’s mother Augusta, does a great job. The show also does an admirable job of contextualizing and reminding viewers how many of the greatest horror villains were born of his crimes. As written in several reviews I read, he is the grandfather of cinematic icons like Norman Bates, Buffalo Bill, and Leatherface.

In the end, Monster: The Ed Gein Story is a beautiful-looking show with strong performances and ambitious storytelling, but it is flawed and confusing at times with its tone and narrative structure and sensationalizes its subject.