Ryan Murphy’s Monster series is no stranger to controversy, but this time round, it’s concerning the portrayal of Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein, which has come under fire ahead of the show’s Netflix release.
The true crime series kicked off in 2022 with Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which generated as much viewership as it did backlash. Families of victims spoke out claiming they weren’t contacted for permission, while viewers debated the “romanticization” of serial killers. One thing was clear: it got people talking.
Then came Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which proved just as divisive. Notably, Erik himself slammed the show as a “dishonest portrayal,” while others took offense to the unfounded scenes alluding to incest between the brothers.
Even so, ratings were huge. Dahmer is the fourth biggest English-language Netflix show of all time, while the Menendez chapter earned 12.7 million views in four days. As such, Season 3 is on the way, centering on one of the most twisted killers in American history.
Why is Charlie Hunnam’s Ed Gein role under fire?
Monster: The Ed Gein Story has already come under fire, with viewers accusing Murphy of sexualizing the killer. The trailer, which dropped earlier this month, shows lead star Charlie Hunnam in various states of undress, while another scene shows him caressing a dead body.
For the uninitiated, Ed Gein was a grave robber, necrophiliac, and murderer whose gruesome crimes in 1950s Wisconsin included exhuming corpses and fashioning keepsakes from human remains.
His crimes went on to inspire some of horror’s most infamous characters, including Norman Bates in Psycho, Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs.
The disturbing nature of Gein’s history is why some viewers are apprehensive about the Netflix series, with the trailer receiving criticism online. Taking to Reddit, one wrote, “Can we stop glamorizing serial killers?”
“Not even 30 seconds in and there’s a shot of Ed looking like a ripped rock star,” said another. “F**k Ryan Murphy for trying to make heinous people look cool.”
A third added, “As always Ryan Murphy tries to make low life scumbags seem cool and sexy. Ed Gein was basically living in his own faeces when they found him.” A fourth chimed in, “Dahmer was already insensitive but this just reaches a whole new level of tasteless.”
Others took issue with a recent interview with Variety in which Hunnam suggested Gein is “one of the more gentle monsters”.
The Sons of Anarchy star explained, “I, for a second, thought maybe I’d made a horrible mistake when I started doing my research and realizing just how despicable some of the stuff he did was.
“But you know, we tell a very, sort of, varied version, like an all encompassing version of who he was. So the gruesomeness, but there’s also a little bit of, I don’t want to say tenderness, but you see the human in him.
“He’s one of the more gentle monsters. Monstrous no doubt, but he has his gentle side to him.”
In response to these quotes, one person wrote, “Such a sign of the times. Of course he was a cold blooded murderer who kept trinkets made from body parts.. But he was so loving to his dog, and his mom really loved him. Charlie Hunnam, a f**king moron.”
Another agreed, “So disappointed in Charlie!”
Why some Netflix viewers are defending Monster
On the other side of the debate, plenty of Netflix fans are eager to see Hunnam’s portrayal and how Monster tackles Gein’s story, pointing to the franchise’s track record of sparking uncomfortable but important conversations.
As much as it draws backlash, the Netflix show also pulls in millions of viewers, something Hunnam addressed on the latest episode of Today (September 30). After sharing an exclusive clip, Hunnam discussed the cultural influence Gein had and the horror movie characters he inspired.
He also addressed the moment in the Monster Season 3 trailer in which Gein looks at the camera and says, “You’re the one who can’t look away.” Elaborating on the intention of the show, Hunnam said, “That’s one of the primary questions we ask in the show: who is the monster?
“This boy who did terrible things but had been abused and left in isolation with untreated mental health issues, or this legion of filmmakers who took inspiration from his life and sensationalized it for entertainment and arguably darkened the American psyche in the process.
“I mean, prior to Ed Gein, our relationship with monsters in cinema were like Dracula and Frankenstein and werewolves. Psycho was the pivot point where we became the monsters, and that was all a direct consequence of the influence that Ed Gein had.”
Just as many viewers who were outraged by the premise and trailer think the show will be a poignant exploration of Gein’s troubling legacy and our own relationship with horror and true crime.
As said by one, “I love the line, ‘You’re the one who can’t look away’ as he looks at the camera, basically Netflix saying even though you’re disgusted by this, you’re still going to watch it.”
“I was just thinking to myself: Why do these monsters need cinematic masterpieces made about them? And then he answered: you’re the one who can’t look away,” another pointed out.
A third added, “Charlie is going to do a phenomenal portrayal of Ed Gein. Such a good actor in everything he is in.”
Others have shared praise for Addison Rae, who will appear in the Netflix series as Evelyn, a missing babysitter who Gein was suspected of kidnapping, although this was never proven.
“I know it’s not real but this was so difficult to watch. Her acting is so convincing I really thought she was in danger,” wrote one.
And then there are those who disagree with the specific criticisms so far. “Why does he look like a rock star? I mean he does look ripped but not overtly so,” said a Redditor.
Another commented, “Gotta love all the sanctimonious people pearl clutching at Netflix glamorizing murderers. This dude has been the inspiration for some of the greatest horror movies of all time (Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs).”
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