Entertainment

Why Monster 3 is really not as good as Monsters 2

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A man with a neat, side-parted, short haircut and a light brown shirt looks with a small smile at a young blonde woman in a yellow-orange knitted sweater. They are sitting next to each other in what appears to be a diner or restaurant, seated in a dark green booth. The woman is holding a small white piece of paper or card and is smiling at it. The light is soft and warm.

For many true crime and horror fans, October 3 was heavily circled in their calendars; the release of ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’. According to the trailer this was supposed to be the most intense and gruesome season yet. It was certainly gruesome, we have to admit that. Creator Ryan Murphy took everything just a step further again. But whether it has really become better and whether he can make as much of an impression as with ‘Monsters; The Lyle and Erik Menendez story’? We have some big question marks about that.

The reactions: from obsessed to completely turned off

The top 10 position on Netflix should actually be a good sign, but for Monster 3 that is not so certain yet. Because honestly, just because we are watching doesn't necessarily mean we like it. Anyone scrolling through the reviews clearly sees two camps. Five stars or one star; there is no middle ground. One praises lead actor Charlie Hunham and calls the series fantastic, while the other drops out after a few episodes and finds it a big mess. In the end, it seems that Ryan Murphy is mainly losing fans with this season. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 23 percent, ‘The Ed Gein Story’ is clearly the lowest-rated series in the series so far. But what is the big problem then?

An alt-text description for this image: A man with a flat cap and a dark coat stands in the middle of the photo, looking through a large display window. The window is taken from the inside and shows a reflection of the text 'WORDEN'S' and 'PAINTS' (and other reversed text) on the glass. Around him, on shelves in the display, are various tools, including several striking chainsaws with long, gold-colored blades. Outside, a wintry street can be seen with snow, older cars, and brick buildings.

Storylines in overdrive

From season 1 of ‘Monster’, it was already clear: we were not getting a documentary, but an exaggerated version of reality. The storylines are indeed based on facts, but the creators take the necessary liberties here and there to embellish everything. ‘Monsters 2’ also received criticism for this, even from the Menendezbrothers themselves. In this third series, Ryan Murphy seems to really go off the rails with his fantasies, and viewers are not exactly happy about it. For those who haven't seen everything yet: here come the spoilers. The known facts, that Ed Gein certainly committed two murders and robbed graves, are present, but there is more; much more.

In the series, Gein also murders his brother, a babysitter, and two hunters who accidentally walk into his shed. None of these facts have ever been proven to be connected to Gein. The idea that he used a chainsaw to murder his victims is pure fantasy. Perhaps the biggest annoyance: his ‘relationship’ with Adeline Watkins. According to the show, they had an affair and Watkins regularly visited him at home. But an article from 1957 shows that they had only limited contact, and Watkins denied ever being at his home or knowing anything about his atrocities. And the list of inaccuracies is even longer. Fans feel that all of this is far too removed from reality. It is so impossible to determine what Gein actually did.

A young woman with blonde hair tied in a bun or ponytail peeks from behind a doorway or wall in a dark room. She is wearing a knitted sweater with a collar and looks with a worried or questioning expression at the viewer (or the space to her right). Her face is partially lit, while the rest of the photo is largely dark, creating a tense and mysterious atmosphere.

The chaos becomes too great

In addition to the focus on Gein's actions, the creators also pay a lot of attention to the (possible) causes and consequences. The creepy scenes of his actions are interspersed with fragments from World War II, but also with footage of directors Alfred Hitchcock and Tobe Hooper, who based their films on the murderer. It should give us as viewers an idea of where Gein drew his inspiration from and how he inspired others. A nice attempt, but it mainly creates chaos and unnecessarily long episodes. Especially at the beginning, the scenes come unexpectedly and you really have to switch gears. Later it gets easier, but it still distracts from what you really want to know: what did Ed Gein do? In ‘Monsters 2’, the scenes of the trials and the actions of the brothers formed a logical whole; this time that has not succeeded.

A close-up portrait of a man with a neat, short haircut and a white collar looking straight into the camera with a serious, uncertain expression. To his left stands an older woman, of whom only her profile is visible, close to his ear. She has dark hair, a stern appearance, and wears a lace or crocheted collar. The image is dark, with both faces illuminated by a light source from the front, creating a dramatic and ominous effect.

The voice you take out of the series

That Charlie Hunham portrays a creepy Ed Gein, we cannot deny. But still, one thing demands all the attention: his voice. It sounds quite high, almost like a child in an adult body. According to Hunham, that was a conscious choice. The voice had to reflect Gein's traumas and struggles. A consequence of wanting to be the person his mother would have preferred to see, which was a daughter and thus as girlish as possible. The voice, according to Hunham, should not match his body. Well, that worked. But whether that was the best choice? For many viewers, the voice is mainly annoying and distracting. Especially now that clips are circulating on TikTok where the real Gein can be heard, that is a world of difference. It is a bold attempt by Hunham, but still another downside for the series.

Murphy's hypocritical twist

Ryan Murphy had another mission with this series: to hold a mirror up to us as viewers. Why are we so obsessed with crime and horror? Why does it always have to be more intense? And perhaps the most important question: are we not also part of the problem? The focus on Gein's mental issues and the influence of his mother gives the impression that his environment made him worse than he actually was. Hunham said about this: “Who was the monster? This poor boy, who was abused his whole life and then remained in total isolation, suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness? Or the horde of people who glorified his life for fun and thereby reportedly darkened the American and global psyche?” That message doesn't quite land: is the audience now the problem, instead of the man who committed the murders and robbed graves? And does Murphy with this series, in which every scene has to be just a bit more intense, not do exactly what he himself criticizes? It doesn't quite come across as the creators had hoped. Or perhaps our expectations after ‘Monsters 2’ and the trailer were simply too high.

Image: Netflix | Monster3 The Ed Gein Story’