As a forensic psychologist, I’m often asked whether I’ve watched the latest crime show, and to be fair, the answer is usually either “Yes” or “I’m planning to.” Recently, I’ve been asked repeatedly about the new Netflix series Monster: The Ed Gein Story. This eight-part dramatisation tells the story of the notorious American killer known as the Butcher of Plainfield. Gein’s crimes include the murders of at least two women and the exhumation of corpses to create keepsakes from their bones and skin. For example, when police searched Gein’s home, they found chairs made from human skin and bowls formed from human skulls. The Netflix series includes the dramatisation of all of these elements, as well as details of how Gein’s story was used to inspire the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho.
Sitting down to watch this, I expected to find it interesting, albeit rather dark. What I actually found, however, was that the barrage of depictions of violence against women quickly became uncomfortable. By the time the shower scene from Psycho was being reenacted on screen, complete with graphic, realistic-looking stab wounds to the female victim, I turned it off. Despite great acting and an undeniably unique story, I found it so deeply unpleasant to watch that I just didn’t want to see it.
Harrison (2023) explored responses to gender-based violence within media, particularly violence towards women and girls, and encouraged viewers to consider how watching such content, or making the choice not to watch it, makes them feel. There are many positives about engaging with crime shows, including the opportunity to ‘solve’ a problem or learn about interesting types of criminal behaviour. Couto and colleagues (2025) even found that consumers of crime shows were more likely to become active bystanders themselves after viewing bystandership within such shows.
