Reel Review Mom

Your October Obsession (and Nightmare Decor Inspo)

So, I am happy to announce the 2nd season of Netflix’s Monster series about real life, scary guys committing some of the most heinous crimes based on our worst possible nightmares. The 1st season was all about the Menendez brothers; the 2nd season, premiering October 3rd, is all about Ed Gein. Eeek.

If the name, Ed Gein, rings a bell, it’s because he is basically the “starter pack” for horror villains. Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the Lambs? Yeah, all inspired by this “friendly Wisconsin recluse” who had a nasty little habit of making furniture out of… people. Martha Stewart, but make it macabre.

Charlie Hunnam (aka biker heartthrob Jax from Sons of Anarchy) slips into Gein’s eerie cardigans, backed by a cast stacked like a haunted Hollywood dinner party: Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander, Lesley Manville, Olivia Williams, and more. Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are once again stirring the cauldron, following their Dahmer and Menendez installments.

But here’s the twist: this season isn’t about buckets of gore—it’s about psychology. Murphy teases a deeper dive into Gein’s undiagnosed schizophrenia, toxic upbringing, and the eternal debate: are monsters born, or made? Either way, the guy definitely wasn’t born with a Pottery Barn catalog in hand.

Set against the frosty backdrop of 1950s Wisconsin, the series blends true-crime dread with eerie Americana. Eight episodes drop all at once, meaning your Halloween binge is locked and loaded. Just… maybe don’t redecorate afterward.

So, whether you’re here for Hunnam’s unsettling glow-up, a fresh spin on true crime, or simply to remind yourself why Wisconsin barns are terrifying, Monster: The Ed Gein Story is your October must-watch.

Warning: side effects may include Googling “vintage furniture” with regret. Sooooo, mark the date 🙂