Three iconic horror films inspired by Netflix Ed Gein story and where to stream them
The killer's crimes have served as inspiration for memorable on screen villains
The latest true crime series from Netflix has served as inspiration for a number of classic horror movies.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story focuses on the infamous serial killer and grave robber. The new season of the anthology series is set In the frozen fields of 1950s rural Wisconsin, where a friendly, mild-mannered recluse named Eddie Gein lived quietly on a decaying farm.
However, he was hiding a house of horrors, driven by isolation, psychosis, and an all-consuming obsession with his mother. Gein’s perverse crimes birthed a new kind of monster that would haunt Hollywood for decades. A number of classic movies and iconic villains from some of the most memorable films owe their origins to the real life crimes of Ed Gein.
According to the show's synopsis, Ed Gein didn’t just influence a genre, he became the blueprint for modern horror. Here are some of the most iconic horror movies that share some inspiration from the true story of Ed Gein and where to stream them. They are perfect additions to any watchlist this October.
Psycho
Alfred Hitchock's 1960 classic sees a secretary on the run after stealing a huge amount of money from her employer. She spends the night at Bates Motel. The owner, Norman Bates seems to have an unusual relationship with his mother as well as a strange interest in taxidermy.
The film was an adaptation of the novel written by Robert Bloch. Bloch may not have been directly influenced by Gein's crimes, but there are some coincidences, not least the relationship between Bates and his mother. As is the idea that Bloch wanted to tell a story about "the notion that the man next door may be a monster unsuspected even in the gossip-ridden microcosm of small-town life."
Bloch lived 35 miles away from the location where Gein was arrested. While the author is said not to have known about the crimes when he started the book, he would have learned about them before it was published. He is said to have commented on the coincidences that may have become direct inspiration. He is quoted as saying he "discovered how closely the imaginary character I'd created resembled the real Ed Gein both in overt act and apparent motivation"
Psycho is streaming on Sky Cinema and NOW.
Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan.
This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Stranger Things and The Last of Us.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Another Halloween staple, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre introduces the iconic horror villain of Leatherface. Despite the film being marketed as based on a true story, it does not actually portray real events.
However, it does cite Ed Gein as one of its influences, something that the Netflix series seems to have alluded to in its character posters, with Gein appearing to be holding a chainsaw aloft. Gein did not actually use a chainsaw. However, Leatherface's use of wearing a mask made of skin is believed to be directly inspired by Gein, as that was one of the disturbing items found inside the killer's home at the time of his arrest.
In the film, Sally, Franklin and their three friends run out of gas while driving to their grandfather's house. One by one they are tormented and killed by a chainsaw-wielding killer and his psychopathic family.
While the original released in 1974 is the highest rated in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes, it is not currently available to stream. There are two remakes or reboots that came out in 2003 and 2022, with the latter currently on Netflix. You can also find the original sequel on Prime Video.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) is streaming on Netflix.
The Silence of the Lambs
One of only three films to take home each of the Big Five Academy Awards, The Silence of the Lambs is often cited as a 'cinematic masterpiece'. An adaptation of the novel by Thomas Harris, it is remembered for the character of Hannibal Lector, played by Sir Anthony Hopkins.
The story follows Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee, who seeks help from this notorious psychopathic serial killer and former psychiatrist, in order to apprehend another murderer who has been claiming female victims.
It is this other killer that is actually inspired by Ed Gein - that of Jame Gumb, more well known by the name Buffalo Bill. In the film and the novel, he is a serial killer who lures, kidnaps, and skins women for the purpose of making a "woman suit" to fulfil his desire of female transformation as he hates his own identity. It is this act of making a suit out of skin that is inspired by Gein.
The Silence of the Lambs can be rented on Prime Video.