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Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ Is No. 1 as Its Fact‑Fiction Blend Draws Fresh Scrutiny

Fresh reporting underscores heavy dramatization, raising ethical questions about portraying real crimes.

Overview

  • The eight-episode season remains the top series on Netflix worldwide, with outlets reporting it as the platform’s most-watched show since its October 3 debut.
  • Historians and reviewers continue to flag major inventions, with Gein biographer Harold Schechter saying a large percentage of the series is fabricated.
  • Renowned psychiatrist Paul E. Mullen says some offenders may have been influenced by Gein but direct inspiration is uncertain, adding that prevention would have been difficult and modern immersive media can heighten risks.
  • Intimacy coordinator Yehuda Duenyas describes a dual responsibility to narrative and factual integrity and outlines safeguards used when staging sensitive intimacy and violence.
  • Netflix is proceeding with a Lizzie Borden season planned for 2026, with Ella Beatty starring and Charlie Hunnam attached.