The Explicit ‘Monster’ Scene Charlie Hunnam Didn’t Bother Filming: ‘Easy’

In Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Charlie Hunnam plays the infamous American serial killer and body snatcher Ed Geinconvicted of two murders and suspected of six others. Nicknamed the “Plainfield Butcher”, Gein was diagnosed with schizophrenia and sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a psychiatric institution.

This is the third part of the anthology Monstercreated by Ryan Murphy. In previous chapters, the series covered the stories of Jeffrey Dahmer and brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez. The recent release is full of graphic and bloody scenes that may be too disturbing for the unaccustomed viewer — but which meet the expectations of the creator’s fans.

In an interview with GQ, Murphy stated that even he was surprised by the tranquility of Hunnam to record certain parts of the story. In one of the most shocking scenes, Gein plays the accordion moments before sexually abusing a corpse recently removed from the grave. Murphy revealed that the actor didn’t even bother, and was more intrigued by playing the accordion before the act than anything else. When asked if he wanted to make changes to the script, Hunnam He replied: “No, it’s a piece of cake.”

The actor’s dedication to the role was complete: he looked for old tapes recorded by the criminal and underwent several physical transformations. IanBrennanco-creator of Monsterexpressed his admiration: “Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something appearing around the curve of the farm we built at the studio. When I looked, it was him. It was the Ed Gein”, he comments.

The reception of the scenes gore

Despite being well received by the general public, some internet users criticized the construction of the narrative of the third chapter of Monster. Viewers commented on social media that the series “glorifies” violence by justifying the actions of Geininstead of focusing on the cruelty of his actions. The lack of focus on victims, especially in scenes of sexual violence, displeased part of the audience.

These criticisms add to others received by the anthology’s productions. The season about Jeffrey Dahmer also generated controversy for “fetishizing” crimes, while that of Menendez brothers was accused of containing lies.

In a chat with the international press, Murphy stated that the aim was not to glorify, but to understand a troubled mind. For him, Gein is a reflection of incel culture: a socially isolated man – whose problematic relationship with his mother would have incited an aversion to sex and women –, frustrated and resentful of his difficulty in relating and sunk into mental disorders.

After filming, Hunnam visited the tomb of Gein in Plainfield, Wisconsin, as a symbolic way of saying goodbye to the character. “I can be criticized for giving him too much empathy, but I just really had to follow my instinct,” he told GQ.

• Charlie Hunnam

• ed gein

• Monster: The Ed Gein Story

• Ryan Murphy