Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story has brought audiences face-to-face with one of the most disturbing killers in American crime history. With that, they have also come to know how this Wisconsin killer has inspired many iconic films and TV shows.
So, here’s a look at five movies and TV shows inspired by Ed Gein’s dark legacy.
List of 5 movies and TV shows that Ed Gein inspired
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre took heavy inspiration from Ed Gein’s gruesome history. While Leatherface wields a chainsaw — a detail not drawn from real life — his masks made of human skin and the meat hooks used on victims echo Gein’s crimes. The isolated farmhouse, disturbing props, and rural horror setting all mirror the killer’s eerie Wisconsin home.
Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho revolutionized horror cinema, and its central character, Norman Bates, is rooted in Ed Gein’s psychological makeup. Like Gein, Bates had an obsessive, unhealthy relationship with his mother. After her death, he begins to embody her persona, leading to murder and madness. The film’s claustrophobic motel and the infamous “mother” reveal both draw directly from Gein’s life and crimes.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The influence of Ed Gein is unmistakable in The Silence of the Lambs. The character Buffalo Bill, who makes women’s suits from the skin of his victims, is a reflection of Gein’s own macabre habits. While Hannibal Lecter provides the film’s intellectual menace, Buffalo Bill embodies the physical horror rooted in Gein’s legacy.
Deranged (1974)
Deranged is one of the most faithful cinematic interpretations of Ed Gein’s life. The film tells the story of a reclusive man who turns to grave-robbing and murder after his domineering mother’s death. The macabre details — from human-skin furniture to jars of preserved body parts — are recreated with unsettling accuracy.
American Horror Story: Asylum (2012)
FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum introduced Dr. Oliver Thredson — a chilling composite of Hannibal Lecter, Buffalo Bill, and Ed Gein himself. A respected psychiatrist by day and a murderer by night, Thredson crafts objects from human flesh, echoing Gein’s morbid creativity.
