Netflix Crime Drama With 22% Rotten Tomatoes Score Reaches #2 in Weekly Viewership
Monster: The Ed Gein Story, the third season of Netflix’s true crime anthology series Monster, premiered on October 3.
Created by Ian Brennan, this season focuses on convicted murderer and suspected serial killer Ed Gein, played by Charlie Hunnam. The cast also features Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Laurie Metcalf, and Tom Hollander.
The season explores not only Gein’s crimes but also his impact on Hollywood and the cultural fascination with true crime.
This is the first season of the series not overseen by Ryan Murphy. Brennan served as the sole creator and writer. The Ed Gein season follows Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024). It was officially announced in September 2024.
Critical response has been largely negative. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 22% Tomatometer score from 27 reviews, while the audience Popcornmeter rating stands at 54% from over 500 ratings.
The next chapter in Netflix’s Monster anthology is here to haunt you. Monster: The Ed Gein Story drops in one week. pic.twitter.com/x3HmabiOcP
— Netflix (@netflix) September 26, 2025
Critics pointed out issues with the season’s meta-commentary, long runtime, subplots, excessive graphic violence, and factual inaccuracies. Opinions on Hunnam’s performance were mixed, with some praising his portrayal and others finding it lacking.
Despite these reviews, the series has been a hit with viewers. Netflix reports that the season entered its weekly top 10, ranking just behind Wayward. It picked up 12.2 million views, totaling 90.6 million hours watched.
A fourth season of the Monster series is already in development, this time focusing on murder suspect Lizzie Borden.
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