Ever since Ryan Murphy's Monster series dropped earlier this month, Ed Gein is pretty much all true crime fans have been able to talk about.
So imagine our surprise when we found a little-known documentary on Prime Video, based on lost tapes that show 'the full depravity of his crimes'.
It delves further into the chilling story behind the 'Butcher of Plainfield', who was found guilty of murdering two women in the 1950s in Wisconsin – not to mention grave robbing and using people’s skin to make furniture and clothing *shudder*.
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In fact, so heinous were Gein's crimes that they went on to inspire a number of Hollywood horror classics including Psycho (the Norman Bates character in Psycho is loosely based on Gein), Deranged (the protagonist here is raised similarly to Gein, by a religious mother and, after her death, he digs up her corpse, starts grave robbing and begins using human remains).
Then there's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre; Leatherface’s masks, which were made from human skin, and his grave-robbery/ decor items were directly inspired by Gein.
If you're equally transfixed by the chilling case, there’s a four-part docuseries on Prime Video that we’ve all somehow missed, digging even deeper (excuse the pun) into the horrifying grave robber and killer, and you can binge-watch it all right now.
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What is Psycho: The Lost Tapes Of Ed Gein about?
Psycho: The Lost Tapes Of Ed Gein offers a real-life look at the man behind the monster. We’re talking access to rare, previously unheard audio interviews with Gein himself, alongside archive footage and expert commentary.
It traces how his isolated life in rural Wisconsin, dominated by a strict, religious mother, warped into a fascination with death and the macabre, with viewers taken inside the shocking 1957 police discovery of his farmhouse, where authorities uncovered human remains repurposed into grotesque household items. Each episode unpacks a different stage of his descent, from childhood trauma to the crimes that would horrify a nation.
In other words, it’s a chilling deep dive into his twisted psyche and the eerie world he created, and while it swaps Hollywood gloss for real horror, it’s every bit as gripping (and far more disturbing).
How can I watch Psycho: The Lost Tapes Of Ed Gein?
Amazon Prime members can watch the first episode for free on Prime Video, but you’ll need an MGM membership to watch the other three episodes.
Sign up for a 30 seven-day trial now, and then you’ll be charged £5.99 per month (or £8.99 for full Prime membership).
Sweet nightmares.
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Naomi Chadderton