Monster: The Ed Gein Story - a chilling tale of depravity, mental illness and loneliness
“Monster: The Ed Gein Story” by Ryan Murphy delves into the disturbing psychological journey of a lonely, mentally ill man whose depraved acts inspired Hollywood horror classics, raising profound questions about true evil. Picture: Netflix
Image: Netflix
Co-creator Ryan Murphy’s Monster series on Netflix has struck gold once again with Monster: The Ed Gein story, in a story so depraved and disturbing it’s difficult to look away.
Murphy, known for his often campy horror series American Horror Story, has transitioned to depicting stories based on fact. The first season of Monster: Dahmer, focussed on cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
Season two was called Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, which followed the 1989 murders of wealthy Beverly Hills brothers Lyle and Erik Menéndez's parents.
With The Ed Gein Story though, here is an offering as disturbing if not more than Dahmer.
The Disturbing Psychological Journey of Ed Gein
Gein’s story is a sorry one of a lonely, stunted man by his verbally and physically abusive mother Augusta (played by Laurie Metcalf) in his formative years. It was a case of nature versus nurture, and the viewer is never really sure what led to Gein becoming the monster he did.
What is clear is that the usually soft-spoken Gein (played to perfection by Charlie Hunnam) was a deeply troubled, severely mentally ill man trying to live his life in the 1940s following the death of his mother.
It’s not totally clear early on, but Gein definitely suffers from split personality disorder or schizophrenia.
Growing up, we see that Gein is fascinated by his mother’s underwear and forms the basis for his sexual journey as what starts out simply with his cross-dressing. It’s not helped by Augusta telling her vulnerable son that he can never be with a woman, it will never turn out well.
The Catalyst for Gein’s Descent into Madness
His first real act of violence we witness is when he kills his brother with one massive blow to the head with a log in the family barn, which Gein believes was just a joke as he thought his sibling would get straight back up.
Once he realises the next day he actually killed his brother, he makes it look like he died in a fire on their farm.
The inept police don’t seem keen on investigating the suspicious death and far too easily accept Gein’s account of finding his brother dead in the fire.
That served as the catalyst for the main events of the story, like Gein’s mother first suffering a stroke, meaning he had to care for her as she recovered. As he had to bathe her, this was a pivotal moment for his morbid fascination with the female form.
Ed Gein’s Influence on Hollywood Horror and the Question of True Evil
After some time, Gein’s mother dies, and that event is what likely caused the first major split of his personality. While starting out by grave-digging, Gein believes his mother didn’t actually die, while he assumes her identity as one of his personalities.
Gein’s vile acts served as inspiration for several Hollywood horror-suspense hits like the seminal Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs.
His acts of self-preservation led him to commit a number of murders, while his obsession with the female form also led to even more unspeakable acts, including necrophilia.
Ultimately, the final two episodes humanise Gein in his later years after he was caught and he was properly medicated and institutionalised. His violent past seems to have melted away to reveal again a lonely, soft-spoken man who ‘wouldn’t harm a fly’, only this time that was actually true.
For me, the depiction of his later years wasn’t as impactful as we also see the influence and inspiration he had for a number of other infamous American serial killers through the years.
The question it raised, though, was legitimate: what is true evil? Is it the acts themselves or the ‘Monster’ carrying them out? It’s a question I’m still trying to answer.