Actor Charlie Hunnam performs sadistic serial killer Ed Gein in Monster: The Ed Gein Story, however some followers have accused the Netflix hit of “romanticising” the assassin

Monster: The Ed Gein Story has been defended by its lead actor Charlie Hunnam.

The hit Netflix present follows the horrific real-life crimes of US serial killer Ed Gein. It is the third sequence of Ian Brennan’s true crime anthology sequence, following The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in 2022 and The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in 2024.

The present has topped the UK Netflix charts and drew a whopping 12.2 million views within the first three days of its launch. Nonetheless, it is landed a disappointing rating of 20 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.

And a few have accused the crime drama of “romanticising” the killer, who impressed iconic horror films resembling Psycho. One viewer wrote on X: “Cherished the sequence however the ending threw me off.

“Ryan Murphy all the time try this [laughing emoji] how are you giving your flowers to a serial killer? Sure he impressed horror cinema in large methods however on the finish of the day, he was a horrible individual.”

One other commented: “Unpopular opinion: we have to cease romanticising serial killers. I really like Charlie Hunnam and am prepared to see this portrayal, however Ed Gein isn’t an individual I’d ever need to meet in actual life.”

A 3rd stated: “Ed Gein is evil. These killers are evil. These Ryan Murphy exhibits are making them into intercourse symbols.”

Discussing the sequence earlier than it aired, Charlie informed the Hollywood Reporter: “If individuals are compelled to speak about it and give it some thought, hopefully they’ll really be compelled to look at the present.

“What I’d hope and really feel actually assured in is that it was a really honest exploration of the human situation and why this boy did what he did.”

He additionally insisted the present by no means sensationalised Gein’s crimes. He added: “I by no means felt like we have been sensationalising it. I by no means felt on set that we did something gratuitous or for shock affect. It was all with a view to attempt to inform this story as truthfully as we might.”

The present’s co-creator, Ian Brennan, added: “This present is all the time attempting to not be exploitative. It’s attempting to truly present which you could pull again an excessive amount of if you’re telling a macabre story. It’s necessary that you simply inform the entire story even with the elements which might be arduous to look at.”

Others have praised the present. One consumer on Rotten tomatoes wrote: “The Ed Gein story was an excellent watch! The performing on this was sensible, sure at instances the flash backs have been complicated however ultimately it was an excellent sequence that each one linked nicely ultimately. It undoubtedly made me really feel uncomfortable, prefer it’s suppose to. 5 star sequence all the way in which; I look ahead to the following monster sequence.”

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