The next installment of Ryan Murphy’s Monster series is here, with all eight episodes of Monster: The Ed Gein Story dropping on Netflix at once on Friday. The anthology series centers on American serial killer and horror movie muse Ed Gein, portrayed by Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam. The show follows the mild-mannered Gein as he is tortured by visions of his critical and controlling mother Augusta (Laurie Metcalf) and gives in to his violent impulses. Those violent impulses, unfortunately for squeamish viewers, include wearing the skin of his victims like a costume.
If that detail doesn’t make you feel particularly ill, then you’re likely a fan of true crime and the TV shows inspired by it. If you’ve already binged the two earlier seasons of Monster — The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, in which Evan Peters portrayed the notorious “Milwaukee Cannibal,” and The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, about the controversial murder of wealthy couple José and Kitty Menendez at the hands of their two sons — here are some other scripted series about crime and killers for you to check out.
Happy Face (2025)
Where to watch: Paramount+
Happy Face is inspired by the true story of Melissa Moore, daughter of truck driver serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, who earned the nickname the Happy Face Killer after confessing to his crimes anonymously to the press with a smiley face sign-off. In the series, Annaleigh Ashford portrays Melissa Reed, a makeup artist on a talk show who must confront her incarcerated father (Dennis Quaid) for the first time in decades after new evidence connects him to a series of previous crimes.
Keith Jesperson (AP)
The Staircase (2022)
Where to watch: HBO Max
Based on the 2004 docuseries of the same name, The Staircase follows the bizarre case of author and father Michael Peterson (played by Colin Firth), who is accused of murdering his wife Kathleen (Toni Collette) after she’s found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their North Carolina home. The evidence is conflicting, but as secrets pile up in the Peterson home, exactly who Michael really is — and whether he’s capable of murder — becomes all the murkier.
Michael Peterson. (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT via Getty Images)
The Girl From Plainville (2022)
Where to watch: Hulu
In this disturbing true crime story, Elle Fanning plays Michelle Carter, a teenage girl who was accused of driving her boyfriend Conrad (Colton Ryan) to his death by suicide through text messages. The series explores both Conrad and Michelle’s state of mind during their short and ill-fated relationship as two teenagers who isolated themselves in the world of their phones.
Michelle Carter (Faith Ninivaggi/The Boston Herald via AP)
Mindhunter (2017-2019)
Where to watch: Netflix
Mindhunter, which is executive-produced by director David Fincher, explores the early days of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, where agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) dive into the minds of real-life notorious killers such as Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton). The series also features vignettes with an ADT worker (played by Sonny Valicenti) who true crime enthusiasts will recognize as Dennis Rader, aka the BTK Killer.
Edmund Kemper. (Bettmann via Getty Images)
The Act (2019)
Where to watch: Hulu
The title The Act carries a double meaning: It refers both to the act of murder and to the elaborate deception orchestrated by Dee Dee Blanchard, played by Emmy winner Patricia Arquette. Based on the twisted true story, the series follows Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King) as she conspires to kill her abusive mother, who has falsely told the world Gypsy is chronically ill.
Gypsy Rose Blanchard. (Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department photo via AP)
Dirty John (2018)
Where to watch: Netflix
This Bravo original, based on the Los Angeles Times and Wondery podcast of the same name, stars Eric Bana as John Meehan, who seems like the perfect boyfriend for Debra Newell (Connie Britton). Unfortunately, this smart, accomplished doctor is nothing more than a con artist and fraud — leading to a chilling conclusion to this faux-love story. A second season of the anthology series explored the story of Betty Broderick, who killed her ex-husband Daniel Broderick and his wife Linda in 1989.
John Meehan. (California Department of Corrections)