Responsible for inspiring morehorrorfilms than any other monstrous serial killer, Ed Gein admittedly has a legacy that lives on. It’s just unfortunate how he went about securing that legacy. But, in an age where true-crime podcasts are increasingly popular, perhaps it’s not so surprising that the evil of society inspires more cinematic ventures than the average altruist. It’s a sad truth and of absolutely no consolation, but at least film fans get some classics out of the tragedy. And classics there have been. From all the way back to the works of Alfred Hitchcock himself, some of the most famous fictional serial killers of all time base their MO on the true exploits of Ed Gein. Here are some of the best films that owe their very existence to the sick exploits of one of history’s most famous mass murderers.
10Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychomay be rated R, but it’s the tamest movie on this list by a long shot, and it shows next to none of Gein’s real-world activities. However, Norman Bates' obsession with his deceased mother rings very true to Gein’s time on Earth, as is Bates' tendency to dress up in women’s clothing.
Psychohas influenced more filmsthan arguably any other, and thanks to Hitchcock’s incredibly tight direction it’s easy to see why.Psychois known for its groundbreaking shower scene, but every other scene is just as effective.
Psycho is available to stream on Peacock and AMC+
9The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
There’s been much speculation that Gein ate some of his victims, and that’s an element incorporated into Tobe Hooper’s masterfulThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Gein denied it, but it’s an element that gives Hooper’s classic an even creepier edge.
Of course, like many of the other grotesque going ons inThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre, cannibalism isn’t outrightshownto the audience. But, it’s there, as is Gein’s tendency to dismember his victims and wear their skin on his face. Another frequently-present element of the film, the dastardly Sawyer family’s home, is also very similar to real life. When police searched Gein’s home, they found bowls made from human skulls, a corset made of a woman’s skin, leggings also made of skin, and some noses. Fortunately, the movie settles for showing the viewers dangling bones and feathers everywhere.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is available to stream on Peacock, Tubi, and AMC+
8Deranged (1974)
On one hand,Derangedis one of the tamer films on this list. And yet for a time it was the hardest one to find. Between its 1974 release and the mid-’90s, it looked as though the film was lost forever, but it’s since been made available to the viewing public.
The most interesting thing aboutDerangedis the casting choice for Ed Gein’s stand-in, Ezra Cobb. Specifically, he’s played by Roberts Blossom, whom film fans might know as the elderly next door neighbor inHome Alone.
Deranged is available to stream on Tubi
7Motel Hell (1980)
Motel Hell
Motel Hellis basically Tobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chain Saw Massacreif that original film made a much smaller attempt to be frightening.Motel Hellis more creepy than anything else, unless one is factoring in goofy. After all, it’s a movie where a 20-something woman gradually falls for a 58-year-old Rory Calhoun.
Where the Gein influence comes into the film is the whole cannibalism aspect, which is an even stronger throughline inMotel Hellthan it was inThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre.Motel Hellis in no way going to be for everyone, but for those who want to see a Hollywood legend have the absolute time of his life while hypnotizing some people (including Pixar favorite John Ratzenberger) while they’re buried up to their necks, this is the movie to rent.
Motel Hell is available to stream on Tubi and Freevee
6The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Silence of the Lambs
By far one of thebest horror movies from the ’90s, Jonathan Demme’sThe Silence of the Lambswas and remains one of the tensest cinematic experiences ever gifted audiences. Plenty of words have been written about Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster’s work as, respectively, Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, and considering they both deliver acting masterclasses it’s easy to see why.
But not even Lecter was the one inspired by Gein. Instead, it was Ted Levine’s Buffalo Bill, with his proclivities for wearing women’s clothing and committing grisly crimes.
The Silence of the Lambs is available to stream on Max
A low-budget wacky dark comedy from the early ’90s,Ed and His Dead Motherat the very least has a terrific cast. Backing up Buscemi areSuperman: The Movie’s Ned Beatty, Jon Gries,Gremlins 2: The New Batch’s John Glover, and the legendary Miriam Margolyes as the titular mom.
Ed and His Dead Motheris certainly the lightest-toned film on this list, and like many dark indie comedies it doesn’t quite work. But Buscemi and Margolyes never fail to be likable presences, as they are here.
Ed and His Dead Mother is available to stream on Tubi and Crackle
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4In the LIght of the Moon (2000)
Also calledIn the Light of the Moon, 2000’sEd Geinis an unremarkable but somewhat admirable attempt at telling Gein’s story. But, like the tone of the film as a whole, Steve Railsback’s lead performance as the title character could have used some modulation, even if it is still the movie’s highlight.
Like other films on this list,Ed Geinattempts to inject some humor into the proceedings, but thanks to the lackluster script most of it lands with a thud. In the end,Ed Geinis a movie that isn’t one hundred percent sure what it wants to be, and there’s precious little reason to recommend it except to true-crime aficionados.
Ed Gein is not currently available to stream
3House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
House of 1000 Corpses
Rob Zombie certainly crafted a memorable filmmaking debut withHouse of 1,000 Corpses, though it is more or less an unfocused version of Tobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Speaking of that film and its inspiration, Gein factors intoHouse of 1,000 Maniacsvia Otis Driftwood, played by horror icon andTexas Chainsaw Massacre 2scene-stealer Bill Moseley.
Otis is the deadliest member of the already nasty Firefly family, and he has a penchant for deforming his victims and turning them into horrifying sideshow attractions. That in and of itself isn’t quite like Gein, but mutilation as a whole was part of that real-life villains repertoire. More specific to Gein, however, is Otis' intermittent wearing of his victims' skin as costumes.
There’s also the sexual focus of Otis' crimes, which further brings Gein to mind, specifically when it comes to the character’s frequent necrophilia. As for the film as a whole,House of 1,000 Corpsesis both the most unique Rob Zombie film and the most disappointing. There’s certainly inventiveness at play, but more often than not it seems shoddily assembled. All that said, the cast is amazing for anyone even remotely familiar with the horror genre:Trilogy of Terror’s Karen Black,Beware! The Blob’s Haig,Sleepaway Camp III’s Michael J. Pollard,Silent Night, Deadly Night 3andArmy of Darkness' Moseley, andHenry: Portrait of a Serial Killer’s Tom Towles all have noteworthy roles.
House of 1,000 Corpses is available to stream on AMC+
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2Devil’s Rejects (2005)
The Devil’s Rejects
Rob Zombie’s strongest film thus faris still something of a mixed bag.The Devil’s RejectcontinuesHouse of 1000 Corpses' gift to horror fans of putting Sid Haig and Bill Moseley front and center, but it’s certainly alienating to anyone not on Zombie’s wavelength.
But that could also be said of his twoHalloweenfilms, andThe Devil’s Rejectsfeels fresher and more energetic than either one of those films. The ending is also a knockout, with the trio seemingly being killed by a flurry of police bullets as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” blares on the soundtrack. They survive, somehow, and are arrested, with Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie) and Otis (Moseley) being sentenced to life in prison while Captain Spaulding (Haig, in his final film role) is executed. And, like in the first two films, Moseley’s unhinged character remains an offshoot of Gein and his crimes.
The Devil’s Rejects is available to stream on AMC+
1The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
With a troubled production and an appearance from the original film’s Final Girl,Texas Chainsaw Massacrefeels like a blatant attempt tocapitalize on legacy sequelHalloween’s successseveral years before. Unfortunately, it’s a far inferior one to David Gordon Green’s 2018 film, and not just because it recasts Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns had sadly passed away, and fans argue the role should have been left alone).
But, one thing it does do that helps it feel fresh is alter the Sawyer family dynamic. Specifically, it’s less of a group and more of a boy and his mother. And, in this regard (not to mention the grosser-than-usual kill scenes)Texas Chainsaw Massacregets closer than the IP ever has to replicating Gein’s life.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is available to stream on Netflix
