Netflix Monster Ed Gein Story's Rotten Tomatoes score sets unwanted record

One of Netflix'snewest true crime offerings has become the must watch title of the moment despite setting an unwanted record of its own.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is streaming now and is the third season in the popular anthology series. It comes from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan who also made Hollywood and The Watcher together for Netflix.

Previously, the show has focused on infamous killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers. This time around, the central figure is Ed Gein, who murdered at least two women and stole bodies from graveyards.

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He made household items as well as masks and suits from human skin and body parts. This is what lead many to believe Gein is the inspiration behind horror films such as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs.

As Netflix did not provide any advance screenings to press, critics are only just sharing their reviews online days following the show's release. As a result, The Ed Gein Story has now managed to register the lowest Rotten Tomato score of all Monster seasons.

At the time of writing, it currently stands at just 29%, with its fan rating at 53%. The first season managed 57%, while The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story earned 45%.

Critics have hit out at the series for a number of reasons, despite it becoming the most watched title among Netflix users over the weekend.

One reviewer claimed: "Monster season 3 only elicits unpleasantries – boredom, frustration, confusion, disgust. This isn't just a botched series; it's perverse & senseless."

Another shared an issue with the show's meta reflections of true crime, despite seemingly revelling in it. They said: "Murphy and his team traffic in the grotesque nature of these events, never keep the focus on his Gein's tale, and yet want us to feel shame at being entertained by true crime."

Others had a problem with the many inaccuracies that are present across its eight episodes. One critic declared: "To say that Monster: The Ed Gein Story is one of the most unfocused of Ryan Murphy’s productions is quite a thing indeed."

Sharing a similar view, someone else penned: "Monster: The Ed Gein Story is as pulpy and sloppy as the comics that Ed reads, a product of sensationalism, rage bait, and misinformation."

There were those that praised the series however. One shared: "It is chilling, voyeuristic, and unsettling — at times, perhaps too much so. But it’s also meticulously crafted, well-acted, and thought-provoking."

Another review praised the central performance of Charlie Hunnam, adding: "It is disturbing, thought-provoking, and anchored by Hunnam’s career-defining performance."

Not everyone is convinced though, as a writer for The Guardian as labelled the series 'unforgivable'. Their verdict continued to say it "is utterly devoid of morality. Instead, it panders to viewers’ basest instincts by lingering gleefully over the worst depredations humanity can commit."

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is streaming on Netflix.