Norman Bates in “Psycho” and Leatherface in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” were both inspired by Gein’s grisly actions, as were Buffalo Bill in “The Silence of the Lambs” and plenty more fictional villains across film and television who aren’t featured in the third season of Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy‘s “Monster” franchise. To help with that discouragement, it’s best not to get too granular in summarizing what happens — I’ve found provocative details tend to tempt more than they turn off — so I’ll try to keep the description of events (and muddling of “Monster’s” core thesis) as straightforward as possible: “The Ed Gein Story” picks up with the death of Ed’s brother, Henry (which, facts be damned, the series pins on Ed), followed shortly by the death of his overbearing mother, Augusta (Laurie Metcalf). Whether “The Ed Gein Story” is meant to be one more interpretation in a series of interpretations or the definite take it strives to be (the ending features two exhaustingly similar fantasy sequences), it’s far too messy to serve as a compelling antidote for what came before.
Author: Ben Travers
Published at: 2025-10-04 21:30:01
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