Netflix is delving into one of the most bleak moments in American true crime history with its new Monster installment.
The streamer has unveiled the initial posters for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, featuring Charlie Hunnam taking on the creepy role of the infamous Wisconsin killer.
The third season of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology series tracks the sinister case of Ed Gein, whose horrific crimes in the 1950s influenced some of Hollywood’s most enduring horror movies. Gein’s shocking legacy influenced the characters behind Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and even The Silence of the Lambs.
Netflix’s official plot summary draws the chilling portrait: “In the snow-covered fields of 1950s rural Wisconsin, a shy, gentle recluse named Eddie Gein lived peacefully on a crumbling farm – concealing a house of horror so ghastly it would redefine the American nightmare. Fuelled by isolation, madness, and an insatiable desire for his mother, Gein’s twisted crimes spawned a new breed of monster that would terrorize Hollywood for decades.”
The streamer calls Gein the “blueprint for modern horror” and guarantees that Season 3 will be its “most harrowing installment yet.” The cast, in addition to Hunnam, also features Suzanna Son, Tom Hollander, Laurie Metcalf, Vicky Krieps, Olivia Williams, Joey Pollari, Tyler Jacob Moore, Charlie Hall, Will Brill, Mimi Kennedy, Robin Weigert, and Lesley Manville.
Murphy’s Monster franchise has rapidly turned into one of Netflix’s most popular true crime shows. The initial season, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, debuted in 2022 starring Evan Peters and received record-breaking viewership as well as widespread controversy. The second season, which debuted in 2024, starred brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch. That season outraged the Menendez family, with Erik Menendez himself slamming the show as “rooted in horrible and blatant lies.”
In spite of the backlash, the series has been supported by Murphy, whom he referred to as the “best thing that has ever happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years in prison” in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum. The day before Season 3 content rolled out, both brothers were denied parole in California, keeping their case in the news.
With Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Murphy is turning his attention to perhaps the most notorious serial killer in American history, a man whose atrocities have haunted horror movies for decades.
Netflix has announced the date of release as October 3, 2025 – just in time for Halloween, so audiences will once again be disturbed by Gein’s horrific tale.
Jamie Wells has a knack for getting the inside scoop on Hollywood’s biggest stars and up-and-coming talent. With a sharp eye for industry trends and an ear for viral moments, Jamie covers everything from red-carpet events to behind-the-scenes drama in movies, TV, and celebrity culture.
