Simab Anjum

After watching Monster: The Ed Gein Story, I have to say I’m deeply disappointed — especially after how powerful and chilling Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was. The Dahmer series had an eerie slow pace, haunting music choices, and a disturbing restraint — it never showed the gruesome details outright, which made it far more unsettling. It focused on Dahmer himself in a way that felt psychological and horrifying without needing excessive violence. In contrast, The Ed Gein Story feels off in almost every way. The historical accuracy is questionable, especially the invented storyline about Gein having a girlfriend — something we have no real evidence of. That creative liberty makes the show feel forced and inauthentic. Portraying Gein as a helpless, sympathetic figure rather than the disturbed killer he was feels unjustifiable and even disrespectful to the real-life victims and the story’s dark reality. Casting Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein was also a strange choice. He’s far too charismatic and handsome for a role that should have exuded an unsettling, almost invisible kind of creepiness. It takes away from the believability of the character. And the meta additions — the references to Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre — felt unnecessary and distracting. Instead of enhancing the story, they made it feel gimmicky and less serious. What could have been a chilling psychological portrait turned into something uneven, exaggerated, and even off-putting at times. Overall, Monster: The Ed Gein Story fails to capture the disturbing realism and emotional depth that made the Dahmer series so haunting. It’s a disappointing, misguided attempt that trades subtlety and authenticity for dramatization and shock value.