10 Things ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ Got Right & Wrong About the Real-Life Killer
Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story is an eight-episode limited series that explores the monstrous activities of murderer, cannibal, and grave robber Ed Gein, whose crimes shocked the small town of Plainfield, Wisconsin, and went on to inspire some of the most infamous horror villains in pop culture.
Played to chilling perfection by Charlie Hunnam, the series employs non-linear storytelling that weaves together not only Gein’s own story but also the filmmakers he inspired, such as Tobe Hooper and Alfred Hitchcock, along with the dark influences that shaped him.
However, creator Ryan Murphy takes several liberties with the already outrageous story to heighten the drama and keep viewers hooked. But with any biopic, some of the facts get a little smudged along the way to make room for engrossing storytelling.
Here are but a few items that Monster got wrong and right about Ed Gein, the Butcher of Plainfield. And stay tuned to see how Murphy does with handling the true story of murderess Lizzie Borden for Season 4 of the Monster anthology.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story, now streaming, Netflix
Was Adeline Watkins truly Ed Gein’s romantic interest in real life?
False
While Adeline Watkins (Suzanna Son) (sometimes referred to as Irene or Irma) was a real person, her connection to Ed Gein has been greatly exaggerated for the sake of the show. After Gein’s arrest, Watkins claimed that he once proposed to her and that they shared a casual interest in crime stories. The series, however, portrays her as a central influence on Gein. In Episode 5, “Ice,” it’s even implied that she was the one who encouraged Gein to turn to the dead to fulfill his romantic desires, which is a twist in the storyline with no basis in fact.
Was Ed Gein's house of horrors as bad as depicted?
True
The series was fairly accurate with what was found in Ed Gein’s house, including the furniture he made and his assorted “projects.” In addition to the remains of Bernice Worden and Mary Hogan, authorities found chairs upholstered with human skin, bowls made from skulls, masks made from faces, an outfit made from skin, a box filled with vulvas, and a belt made of nipples, just to name a few of the horrors found scattered around his house.
Did Ed Gein murder people with a chainsaw like Leatherface?
False
In Episode 4, “Green,” the series suggests that Gein killed two hunters who stumbled upon his activities with a chainsaw. In reality, there is no evidence this ever happened. Gein was confirmed to have murdered two women, Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden, and in both cases he used a firearm. The other grisly remains discovered in his farmhouse came from grave robbing. Gein never used a chainsaw to kill anyone.
Did Anthony Perkins have relationships with both men and women?
True
In Episode 2 “Sick as Your Secrets,” Anthony Perkins (Joey Pollari) is romantically linked with Tab Hunter and living together in a hotel room, as the two were in a secret relationship. It is implied that this is why Sir Alfred Hitchcock (Tom Hollander) cast him in Psycho, stating that the dual nature of his life gave him insight into the role and into Ed Gein.
Did Ed Gein have an affair with his victim Bernice?
False
In Episode 4 “Green,” it shows Ed having a romantic relationship with his victim Bernice (Lesley Manville), but in truth, Bernice was a widow who ran the local hardware store where Gein was a customer. On November 16, 1957, he lured her into the back of the store under the pretense of buying antifreeze, then shot her and took her body to his farmhouse. While some locals speculated that Gein might have had “feelings” for Bernice, or that he saw her as a motherly figure, there’s no evidence of any affair, relationship, or even romantic interest.
Did Ed Gein really babysit for people in town?
True
In Episode 3 “The Babysitter,” it depicts Ed babysitting for a pair of siblings, leading to disastrous results when he attempts to entertain them with his collection. While there’s no evidence that Ed Gein ever behaved inappropriately toward the children he babysat, Gein did in fact babysit for people in town. He sometimes helped neighbors with odd jobs, including babysitting. That’s part of why the town was so blindsided.
(However, there is no evidence that he murdered a young babysitter, as portrayed by Addison Rae.)
Did Ed Gein help the FBI catch Ted Bundy?
False
In Episode 8 “The Godfather,” it depicts the FBI going to speak with Ed Gein about the Pacific Northwest Killer (later identified as Ted Bundy). In reality, Gein was arrested in 1957, long before the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit (later the Behavioral Analysis Unit) was established in the early 1970s. There is no record of Gein ever being formally interviewed by the FBI. But while he never worked with the FBI, his crimes indirectly influenced the later study of serial killers.
Did Ed Gein have a fascination with Ilse Koch?
True
Ilse Koch (Vicky Krieps), wife of Buchenwald commandant Karl Koch, became infamously known as the “Witch of Buchenwald” after being accused of selecting prisoners with distinctive tattoos so their skin could be fashioned into lampshades and other grotesque items. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the same years Gein was active, her name surfaced repeatedly in American newspapers and pulp magazines. Given Gein’s avid collecting of Nazi atrocity materials, it is almost certain her story reached him through the lurid articles he hoarded.
Did Ed Gein have a fascination with Christine Jorgensen?
True
Christine Jorgensen became world-famous in 1952 when she returned from Denmark after undergoing what was then described as a “sex change operation.” Her story was in many American newspapers at the time and was the center of discussion. Gein almost certainly knew of Christine Jorgensen through press coverage and there is documented proof that Jorgensen’s story made its way into Ed Gein’s world. Among the many items found in his possession were articles specifically about “sex change operations” (as they were called at the time) and Jorgensen.
Did Ed Gein kill his own brother?
Possibly
In May 1944, a brush fire on the Gein farm left Ed’s brother Henry missing. His body was later found face down a quarter mile from the blaze. Though ruled heart failure from smoke inhalation, Henry lay in an unburned area and reportedly had head bruises, but no autopsy was ever done. It was all fairly suspicious.
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