Netflix’s new series ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story‘ has taken over everyone’s screens. But one person who won’t be watching it is Osgood Perkins. Yes, we are talking about the son of ‘Psycho‘ star Anthony Perkins.
The show brings his late father’s story back into the spotlight, and Osgood says he’s staying far away from it.
The ‘Psycho’ Story Behind ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’
The latest season of ‘Monster‘ from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan focuses on real-life killer Ed Gein, the man whose crimes inspired many horror movies, including Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho.’ In the second episode, Joey Pollari plays Anthony Perkins. The episode shows him as a closeted gay actor who’s secretly dating Tab Hunter when he gets the role of Norman Bates.
Related: ‘Monster’ Season 4: The Chilling True Story Of Lizzie Borden
It also shows Tom Hollander as Hitchcock, hinting that he cast Perkins because, like Gein, he had a “secret making you sick.” Another scene shows Perkins meeting a psychologist, Mildred Newman, who suggests conversion therapy. In real life, Anthony never spoke about his sexuality. He was married to actress and photographer Berry Berenson, and they were together until his death in 1992.
Osgood Perkins Slams Netflix Over True-Crime Shows
While the show has become a big hit, Osgood wants nothing to do with it. The filmmaker, known for Longlegs and The Monkey, told TMZ he hasn’t seen the show and doesn’t plan to. In fact, he said, “I wouldn’t watch it with a 10-foot pole“. He didn’t talk about how his father was shown in the series. But he did open up about how he feels about true crime shows in general.
In case you missed it: Top 25 Best Crime Drama Shows, Ranked
Osgood called it “the Netflix-ization of real pain,” saying streaming platforms have turned real tragedies into entertainment. Maybe they are trying to make them look “glamorous and meaningful.” Osgood said he’s worried that our culture is being “reshaped in real time by Overlords” and that stories about real people are losing their meaning.
Instead of re-creating people’s pain for shows, Osgood said he wants art to go deeper. He believes people should “look behind the veil into the unknowable” and “love each other through expansive, new art.”
