True crime fanatics, Netflix has dropped its latest offering for you to dig your teeth into. Monster: The Ed Gein Story is the third instalment of the streaming platform's Monster anthology series, which explores the lives of notorious American killers and serial killers.
This series unpacks the twisted life of Ed Gein, who was also known as the Butcher of Plainfield and the Plainfield Ghoul. A notorious murderer and grave robber (and by that, we mean body snatcher), he gained notoriety in the 1950s when authorities learned he used the stolen body parts to make household items.
He also confessed to the murders of two women: tavern owner Mary Hogan in 1954 and hardware store owner Bernice Worden in 1957. Some also believe Gein killed his brother — while this is dramatised in Monster, he never actually admitted to the crime.
In 1968, Gein was found guilty of the murder of Worden. However, he was deemed legally 'insane' and was remanded to a psychiatric institution. Gein remained there until he died in 1984, aged 77.
Following the release of The Ed Gein Story, it's pushed the 'monster's' real-life crimes into the limelight once more. However, what people may not know is that many shows and films have actually been inspired by the serial killer.
Films and TV shows inspired by Ed Gein
Intrigued as to what they are? Here, we unpack the 6 titles that have been influenced by Ed Gein.
Psycho (1960)
Psycho is one of the most iconic horror films of all time. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, it was based on the 1959 horror novel by Robert Bloch. It follows young secretary Marion Crane, who ends up on the run after stealing $40,000 from a client of the real estate company she works for.
This is how she ends up at the derelict Bates Motel, run by Norman Bates — a loner with a fascination for taxidermy (ring any bells?) — and his dominating mother. When Marion goes missing, her boyfriend Sam and her sister, Lila, set out to find her. Of course, they never see her alive again.
Deranged (1974)
Deranged is loosely based on Ed Gein's crimes. Ezra Cobb is the protagonist, a middle-aged man living in a rural American community, who embarks on a brutal serial killing and grave robbing spree.
Like Gein, the crimes are committed following the death of his mother, a religious fanatic, who was convinced women were the devil.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Though the plot of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is largely fictional, the character of Leatherface (a cannibalistic serial killer who wears masks made of human skin) is based on Gein's crimes.
In terms of the story, it centres around Sally and her friends who, while driving to her grandfather's house, run out of gas. Unlucky for them, they encounter said killer, who murders them one by one with his chainsaw.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
This psychological horror thriller stars Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, an imprisoned psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. Jodie Foster is Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee, who is investigating 'Buffalo Bill,' another serial killer, who is terrorising the community by murdering young women and removing their skin. In a radical approach, Starling enlists the help of Lecter to understand Buffalo Bill's crimes.
Hannibal (2013)
The 2013 NBC series zooms in on the character of Hannibal Lecter in a different setting. It follows Will, a talented criminal profiler, whose boss has him supervised by forensic psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter. Little does he know, Lecter is a secret cannibalistic serial killer, known as the Chesapeake Ripper.
The show is an exploration of Lecter's life before his infamous imprisonment at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
House of 1000 Corpses was actually inspired by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It was also Rob Zombie's directorial debut.
The movie follows two young couples who travel through the woods of Texas in search of a murderous urban legend. However, their morbid curiosity soon turns into real-life terror, when they end up as prisoners in the home of a serial killer family.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is available to stream on Netflix.
