Monster: The Ed Gein Story, you’ve probably also been left reeling by the shocking and disturbing themes that have divided viewers. Based on the true story of serial killer Ed Gein, the series examines the man behind the headlines, who lived in Wisconsin in the 1940s and whose heinous crimes went on to inspire films like Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. Netflix has billed this as the “most harrowing installment yet” in the Monster anthology series, and I can’t help but agree.

Following Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, this third instalment has genuinely shocked me to my core – and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted! This instalment takes “gripping” to another level, and while I can’t say it’s a particularly nice watch, it does have you hooked from start to finish – even if it’s with your hands over your eyes… Read on for what viewers are saying about the new release that is currently sitting at number one in the Netflix charts.

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Charlie Hunnam stars as Ed Gein

Monster: The Ed Gein Story’s Rotten Tomatoes score

Since its release on 3 October, Monster: The Ed Gein Story has received mixed reviews from viewers and critics alike. Averaging a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems viewers have been left not quite knowing whether to be disturbed, entertained – or both.

One person wrote: “Part of the reason people find it so hard to stomach this series is the fact that it humanizes individuals who they don’t deem as human… Many viewers will find it pervasive that the killers are portrayed as anything other than detestable, however those who can look at the show on a more human level will appreciate this for what it is: a complex series that handles the psychology and tragedy of the stories maturely.”

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Viewers had mixed reactions

Meanwhile, another added: “I haven’t seen something this captivating in a very long time. Binged in one day,” while a third person penned: “Brilliant show. Incredible performances. The man unintentionally changed the face of pop culture.”

Other viewers weren’t so sure, however. One person wrote: “The main problem with the series is that it goes in far too many different directions. Instead of maintaining a clear focus on Ed Gein’s depravity, his psychological sickness and the disturbing complexity of his mind, the show keeps jumping between timelines and side stories that add little depth to the main narrative.”

Another person critiqued: “This series is all over the place. It adds a lot of unnecessary content that adds nothing to the story, some of the characters are fictional, and… it’s sick. It’s the most disturbing of all of them in how it almost celebrates what he did. And it’s not for the sake of horror. It’s like the filmmakers are trying to make what he did sexy.”

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What have critics said about the show?

In its one-star review, The Guardian wrote: “This Charlie Hunnam-starring true-crime drama about killer Ed Gein is utterly devoid of morality. Instead, it panders to viewers’ basest instincts by lingering gleefully over the worst depredations humanity can commit.”

Also giving it one star is The Times, which wrote: “On and on this goes, becoming ever more depraved, a wallow in sickness that leaves you feeling hollow, nauseated. Still, let’s give it its due: it might have just offered, finally, the last word on Ed Gein.”

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Suzanna Son as Adeline

What is Monster: The Ed Gein Story about?

As per Netflix’s synopsis: “Serial killer. Grave robber. Psycho. In the frozen fields of 1950s rural Wisconsin, a friendly, mild-mannered recluse named Eddie Gein lived quietly on a decaying farm – hiding a house of horrors so gruesome it would redefine the American nightmare.

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Ed Gein inspired films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho

“Driven by isolation, psychosis, and an all-consuming obsession with his mother, Gein’s perverse crimes birthed a new kind of monster that would haunt Hollywood for decades. From Psycho to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to The Silence of the Lambs, Gein’s macabre legacy gave birth to fictional monsters born in his image and ignited a cultural obsession with the criminally deviant. Ed Gein didn’t just influence a genre – he became the blueprint for modern horror.

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Addison Rae stars as babysitter Evelyn

“[Ryan Murphy and [Ian] Brennan’s groundbreaking anthology series returns with its third, most harrowing installment yet. Monster: The Ed Gein Story tells the story of how one simple man in Plainfield, Wisconsin, became history’s most singular ghoul. He revealed to the world the most horrific truth of all – that monsters aren’t born, they’re made… by us.”