Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, True Crime
Joshua Nair
Charlie Hunnam stars as Ed Gein in the latest trailer for Monster, an anthology true crime series on Netflix.
The streaming platform has previously covered serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and parent-murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez in the past, but they have now moved on to Edward Gein in their third instalment, an American murderer, suspected serial killer, and body snatcher.
Also known as 'the Butcher of Plainfield', Gein was known for his crimes in and around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, came under the spotlight in the 1950s when it was discovered that he had exhumed corpses from graveyards before cutting off parts of their skin or body to keep as human trophies.
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British actor Hunnam plays the titular character, and you can view the trailer for Monster: The Ed Gein Story, here:
Films such as Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs drew inspiration from the true story of Gein himself, a notorious serial killer known for digging up corpses.
This latest season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s critically acclaimed series will look at the story behind the criminal, played by Hunnam, known for his roles in Sons of Anarchy and The Gentlemen.
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In the final moments of the trailer, which shows Hunnam as Gein wearing the faces of some of his victims, he breaks the fourth wall and chillingly says: “You’re the one who can’t look away.”
The series will examine how isolation, psychosis, and an obsession with his mother, Augusta (Laurie Metcalf), turned Gein into a heinous murderer.
Brennan, who wrote every episode, pointed out to Tudum: “It’s really mind-blowing how influential one strange man in the middle of Wisconsin in a barn can be. That’s just the world we live in, that he lit this fuse that just continued popping off and set in motion this continuous topping of really intense, bizarre, strange imagery.”
Hunnam said he read and watched everything related to the subject to get into character, even losing 30 pounds to achieve a lighter frame more accurate to Gein.
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He explained: “I spent a lot of time thinking about where his energy was, that he’s not particularly confident or, like, front-foot type of energy.
“How to not take up a lot of space, not to be sort of front and center and too confident in my physicality was really important.”
Addison Rae also starts in the upcoming series as Evelyn, a babysitter who was said to be one of Gein's victims.
She called herself a 'big fan' of Hunnam, adding: “I’ve never worked on a production that felt so intentional in every piece. And I think that is really inspiring to be around.”
Monster: The Ed Gein Story will be available to stream on Netflix on 3 October.