Osgood Perkins, the prolific horror filmmaker behind Longlegs and The Monkey, has weighed in on the Netflix true crime series Monster — and he isn’t a fan, to put it mildly.
Season 3 of the frequently controversial series centers around notorious serial killer Ed Gein. Monster: The Ed Gein Story also features a real-life connection to Perkins: Gein’s acts were a source of inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock during the making of 1960’s Psycho, which starred Perkins’ father Anthony. The series includes this part of the story, and actually includes a subplot about the Psycho actor trying to come to terms with Gein’s unscrupulous acts and his closeted sexuality. It’s a depiction that Osgood Perkins says he wouldn’t watch “with a 10-foot pole.”
The director spoke to TMZ recently and slammed studios like Netflix and their depictions of true crime stories. Although Perkins hasn’t watched the series, he’s likely referring to how it portrays his father during a moment of personal turmoil. In Monster Season 3, Perkins has a conversation with Hitchcock that’s nothing short of disturbing. The Psycho director convinces the young actor that his portrayal of his monstrous character can be fueled by his “secret” preferences.
As Osgood put it, shows like Monster are “increasingly devoid of context… the Netflix-ization of real pain — i.e. the authentic human experiences drawn from ‘actual events’ — is playing for the wrong team.” From his point of view, true crime stories are twisted to the point of adding “glamorous and meaningful content.”
Anthony Perkins left us too early, dying in 1992 after dealing with health complications from AIDS. His legacy includes foundational contributions to the horror genre, and unfortunately, depictions like the one in Monster don’t help. In the past, Osgood has said, “My father was an actor who had sort of a private life that was not acceptable in the mainstream, whether you want to call him a gay man or a bisexual man, whatever moniker we want to put on that. You couldn’t do that, you couldn’t be both. You still can’t!”
Did Netflix’s ‘Monster’ Season 3 Make an Impact With Its Portrayal of Ed Gein?
Controversies aside, Ryan Murphy’s true crime series Monster consistently features standout performances. Season 1 was Evan Peters’ showcase, revolving around a captivating performance from the actor as he tried his best to inject some humanity into Jeffrey Dahmer. His performance earned him a Golden Globe.
Season 2 portrayed the real-life case of the Menendez brothers, who brutally killed their parents in the late ’80s, and boasted a cast that included Javier Bardem as José Menendez. It also earned a few nominations on the awards circuit, including nods at the Emmys and Golden Globes.
Season 3 sees Charlie Hunnam bringing Gein to life with a performance that stands out as one of the best of the year. Monster: The Ed Gein Story isn’t a terrible piece of television, and Hunnam’s role as the Butcher of Plainfield is outstanding. However, it isn’t strong enough to keep the eight-episode season afloat. It does fizzle out at some point, especially when writer Ian Brennan is forced to add Hollywood subplots to the story.
- Release Date
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October 3, 2025
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Carl Franklin