Osgood Perkins, an actor and filmmaker known for his work in films such as Legally Blonde, Nope, and The Monkey, and for directing and writing projects like Long Legs and Gretel and Hansel, has publicly condemned the latest season of Netflix’s Monster anthology. He criticized the depiction of his late father, Anthony Perkins, and the creative liberties taken in the series Monster: The Ed Gein Story, expressing strong reservations about its approach.
Perkins, whose father Anthony famously starred as Norman Bates in Psycho, rejected the series and stated he
wouldn’t watch with a 10-foot pole,
referring to Netflix’s portrayal of Anthony Perkins by actor Joey Pollari and the broader narrative choices.
Concerns Over the True-Crime Genre’s Impact on Real Pain
In an interview with TMZ, Osgood Perkins expressed concern about the evolving nature of true-crime content, calling out streaming platforms for turning tragic real-life events into what he described as glamorous and meaningful content. He warned about the way culture is being influenced, stating it is
reshaped in real time by overlords.
Perkins elaborated that the true-crime genre is increasingly presented without sufficient context. He explained that the “Netflix-ization” of genuine human suffering—the authentic pain behind actual events—ultimately benefits the wrong interests and undermines the gravity of those experiences.
Image of: Osgood Perkins
“The Netflix-ization of real pain [ie the authentic human experiences wrought by ‘actual events’] is playing for the wrong team,”
he said.
How the Season Portrays Anthony Perkins and Ed Gein’s Story
The third season of Monster, now available on Netflix, primarily centers on the notorious killer Ed Gein but also weaves in the effects of Gein’s crimes on various iconic horror films, including Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). In this season, actor Joey Pollari portrays Anthony Perkins, depicting him as a closeted actor struggling with the public identification as a killer due to his role as Norman Bates and wrestling with his sexuality, which was an open secret in Hollywood during his lifetime. Perkins remained married to Berry Berenson, Osgood’s mother, until his death from AIDS in 1992 at age 60.
Experts and Families Highlight Inaccuracies in the Series
Harold Schechter, an author renowned for his definitive book Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, criticized the show’s departure from factual events. He told the New York Post that
a very large percentage of the show is just made up
and added that the series
veers so wildly from the reality of the case. So much of it is pure over-the-top fabrication,
emphasizing the creative exaggerations present in Murphy’s adaptation.
Ryan Murphy’s Monster series has previously faced backlash from both the subjects portrayed and their families, especially regarding seasons focused on Jeffrey Dahmer and brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, with accusations of dramatization and distortion of facts. Murphy’s next project will cover Lizzie Borden, whose historical timeframe may invite different scrutiny.
What This Means for the True-Crime Genre
Osgood Perkins’s critique underscores ongoing tensions about the ethical boundaries in dramatizing real-life tragedies within entertainment. His focus on cultural reshaping and the misrepresentation of his father signals a call for more sensitivity and accuracy in this growing genre. As Netflix and other platforms continue to produce true-crime dramatizations, the debate over balancing storytelling with respect for authentic experiences remains critical, shaping how audiences receive these narratives moving forward.
