Charlie Hunnam has prompted a sharply mixed reaction after the release of the debut trailer for Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, in which the 45-year-old actor portrays the mid-20th-century murderer whose crimes influenced modern horror.
The teaser, released ahead of the series premiere on Oct. 3, shows Hunnam’s transformation into Ed Gein in several stark moments, including a scene in which the actor appears nude and others that reference Gein’s well-documented mutilations and grave-robbing. One line delivered by Laurie Metcalf in the trailer, in character as Augusta Gein, says, “Eddie, you’re a mess. Only a mother could love you.” The series is billed by Netflix as an exploration of isolation, psychosis and an obsessive relationship with Gein’s mother that culminated in crimes that, the streamer says, helped shape Hollywood’s image of the modern serial killer.
The trailer has drawn praise from some viewers, with posts on X and other social platforms offering early awards-season predictions for Hunnam. “Charlie Hunnam just won an Emmy right in this trailer,” one X user wrote, while others suggested the performance could attract Golden Globe or Emmy nominations.
At the same time, critics faulted the trailer for what they described as sensationalizing violent acts and for casting an actor often noted for his physical appeal in the role of a reviled killer. Several commenters on Netflix’s Instagram account argued the series glorifies a real perpetrator and showed concern about retraumatizing victims’ families. The inclusion of former social-media influencer Addison Rae in a small role also drew negative reaction from some viewers, with commenters saying influencers lack acting experience.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story was created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. Brennan told Netflix’s Tudum that Gein’s crimes have had a deep cultural impact, saying the killer’s crimes “birthed a new kind of monster that would haunt Hollywood for decades” and citing influences on films such as Psycho, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. Brennan is credited with writing each episode of the anthology installment, which follows Murphy’s previous Monsters entry, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Netflix’s logline for the series frames the story as an examination of how isolation and psychosis intersected with Gein’s relationship with his mother to produce crimes that reverberated through American culture. The trailer’s depiction of those crimes and the casting choices have amplified a broader conversation about how true-crime dramatizations balance storytelling with sensitivity to victims and historical trauma.
The series joins a wave of recent dramatizations of real-life killers and high-profile true-crime adaptations that have reignited discussion about the ethical limits of dramatizing violence. Monster: The Ed Gein Story will be available to stream beginning Oct. 3.