Monster: The Ed Gein Story - Charlie Hunnam wants viewers to rethink evil after watching the Netflix series

Netflix
Netflix's "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" New York Premiere - Source: Getty

Monster: The Ed Gein Story comes with all the shades of horror and danger. Right from the beginning of the series, we get a deep dive into the world of Ed Gein and get a clear picture of why he is the way he is. Charlie Hunnam brings life to this mass murderer with such intensity that many viewers were too scared to go through the whole series in one go.

It cannot be denied that criticism and appraisal go hand in hand in the entertainment industry. After the release of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, many pointed out the gruesome depiction of Ed Gein’s story in the series. Charlie Hunnam, however, admits that the viewers should rethink evil and identify the real monster.


Charlie Hunnam’s words about rethinking evil after watching Monster: The Ed Gein Story

After the two successful stories of Monsters that were also released on Netflix, Monster: The Ed Gein Story began with a promise to shock viewers with the gruesome story of this mass murderer. It cannot be denied that Ed Gein’s story became the inspiration for a multitude of movies with mass murder as the primary focus.

Be it The Texas Chain Saw Massacre or The Silence of the Lambs, the world of entertainment was changed forever with these projects. Charlie Hunnam, in an interview, points out this aspect. He says we must identify the real monster in this situation. Though he in no way sympathises with Ed Gein, at the end of the day, Ed’s story is about mental health and the extent to which he was pushed because of the situation he was in.

Netflix MONSTER: The Ed Gein Story Genre/SAG Nom Comm Screening - Source: Getty
Netflix MONSTER: The Ed Gein Story Genre/SAG Nom Comm Screening - Source: Getty

Charlie Hunnam asks if Ed Gein is the monster or the “legion of filmmakers” who were inspired by Ed Gein’s activities and “sensationalized it to make entertainment”. It cannot be denied that these forms of entertainment caused the “American psyche” to “darken”. He also questions whether the viewer is the “monster of the show” for watching the series.

His words definitely raise a level of awareness and make us question the workings of society. Ed Gein’s story that we see in Monster: The Ed Gein Story dives deep into Ed’s psychology.

It depicts how the death of his brother was not understood by him because of his Schizophrenia, and how his mother was devastated after finding out about his brother’s death, leading her to kill herself. At a time when Ed needed psychological help, he did not get any. It eventually isolated him from society, turning him into the person he eventually becomes.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is not something for the faint of heart. Ian Brennan admits that the series tells the “whole story”. There are parts that might be too much to watch. However, the focus of the creators was to give a “real deep dive” into the “important touchstone of the 20th century”.

Through Charlie Hunnam’s performance as Ed Gein, it is truly understandable that he did his homework. He read the court transcriptions and even the medical records of Ed Gein to get a proper picture of why he was the way he was, and he truly nailed the role. Instead of simply judging at face value, the creators of the whole team of the series urge us viewers to take a proper look and investigate further to understand the whole scenario and the significance of mental health.


For more such interesting pieces, stay tuned to Soap Centra.

Edited by KOUSHIKI ROY