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Monster Season 3 flops on Rotten Tomatoes critics call it “a jumbled, sensational mess”

Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story becomes the lowest-rated season in Ryan Murphy’s anthology, scoring just 29% on Rotten Tomatoes despite praise for Charlie Hunnam’s performance.

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Monster Season 3 flops on Rotten Tomatoes critics call it “a sensational mess”
Monster: The Ed Gein Story debuts on Netflix with a 29% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it the lowest-rated season in Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology.

Netflix’s latest true-crime series Monster: The Ed Gein Story is facing a harsh reality check from critics. The highly anticipated third installment in Ryan Murphy’s anthology has debuted to largely negative reviews, earning the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of the entire Monster franchise.

The series, which revisits the horrifying crimes of Ed Gein, the infamous Wisconsin killer who inspired films like Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, was expected to build on the success of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. Instead, it has become the franchise’s biggest critical disappointment.

Monster Season 3 flops on Rotten Tomatoes critics call it “a sensational mess”


Critics bash Monster: The Ed Gein Story

Early reviews from major outlets have been brutal. Variety’s Aramide Tinubu wrote that the show “makes Ed Gein mythical again, and in turn strips away the texture and grit that was desperately needed to make the series work.”

James Jackson from The Times (UK) called it “a dive into psychosexual murk almost drowning in its own ambitions and depravities,” while Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com labeled it “one of the most unfocused of Ryan Murphy’s productions.”

Meanwhile, The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan dismissed it as “nothing but voyeuristic pandering to the basest instincts of viewers.”

Other critics echoed similar sentiments. Screen Rant’s Greg MacArthur gave the season a mere 2/10 rating, saying it “elicits unpleasantries — boredom, frustration, confusion, disgust.” Collider’s Therese Lacson described the show as “pulpy and sloppy… a product of sensationalism, rage bait, and misinformation.”

Reviewers from But Why Tho? and Fish Jelly Films criticized the series for “humanizing the killer while trivializing his victims,” calling it “tone-deaf” and “exploitative.”

A few bright spots amid the backlash

Not all the feedback was negative. Outlets such as Hindustan Times and Heaven of Horror praised Charlie Hunnam’s intense portrayal of Ed Gein and the show’s haunting production design. However, even those reviews admitted that strong performances couldn’t save a story weighed down by inconsistency and poor pacing.

Monster Season 3 flops on Rotten Tomatoes critics call it “a sensational mess”

“It’s visually striking and well-acted,” one review noted, “but narratively hollow — a disturbing story without a soul.”

Rotten Tomatoes score confirms fan divide

As of this week, Monster: The Ed Gein Story holds a 29% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews, and an audience score of 53% from more than 500 viewers.

In comparison:

  • Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story — 57% critic score
  • Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story — 45% critic score

That makes The Ed Gein Story the lowest-rated entry in the Monster series to date — a worrying drop for Netflix and Ryan Murphy, who previously turned Monster into one of the platform’s biggest true-crime hits.

Fans react to the downfall

While critics panned the show for its direction and tone, some fans on social media have defended it, praising Hunnam’s acting and the series’ dark, unsettling atmosphere.

One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

Monster Season 3 flops on Rotten Tomatoes critics call it “a sensational mess”

    “Charlie Hunnam carried this entire show. The writing was shaky, but he made Ed Gein terrifying.”

    Another commented,

    “Not everything Ryan Murphy makes can be a masterpiece. This one tried too hard to shock and forgot to tell a story.”

    Still, the general consensus among both critics and audiences is that Monster: The Ed Gein Story fails to live up to the gripping psychological tension and cultural commentary of its predecessors.

    Can Ryan Murphy bounce back?

    With Monster now viewed as a declining series, attention turns to whether Ryan Murphy and Netflix can revive its reputation. The anthology once redefined modern true-crime television with its bold storytelling and stylized approach, but the latest installment has left even loyal fans questioning its creative direction.

    Given Murphy’s track record — from American Horror Story to The People v. O.J. Simpson — it’s unlikely this stumble will slow him down for long. But for now, Monster: The Ed Gein Story stands as a reminder that not every true-crime story can find beauty in the macabre.

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    With ‘Lanterns’ and ‘Man of Tomorrow’ ahead, Fillion teases fresh layers to DC’s most unpredictable Green Lantern.

    From ‘Lanterns’ to ‘Man of Tomorrow’: Nathan Fillion Teases Guy Gardner’s Future

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    With ‘Lanterns’ and ‘Man of Tomorrow’ ahead, Fillion teases fresh layers to DC’s most unpredictable Green Lantern.

    Nathan Fillion has offered fresh insight into Guy Gardner’s transformation from intergalactic peacekeeper to corporate-sponsored celebrity—and teased how Man of Tomorrow will take a different path from Superman.

    Fillion’s bowl-cut Green Lantern first entered the new DC Universe as a member of the Justice Gang in Superman. He later appeared in Peacemaker before making the jump to HBO’s darker, detective-driven Lanterns.

    Despite the dramatic differences between those projects, Fillion believes the character can remain consistent while adapting to each story’s atmosphere.

    He compared the experience to spending one weekend in colourful Metropolis and another in shadowy Gotham. The individual would remain the same, he explained, but the two weekends would feel entirely different.

    Guy Gardner turns superhero status into a business

    In Lanterns, Guy is not merely a superhero. He has become a carefully packaged product supported by LordTech and its billionaire founder, Maxwell Lord.

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    The series drives that point home when John Stewart returns to Rushville and spots a promotional display featuring Guy advertising an energy drink. It is an image that immediately separates him from fellow Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

    Hal is too unpredictable to become a polished spokesman, while John treats the responsibilities of the ring far too seriously to turn himself into a corporate mascot. Guy, however, appears perfectly comfortable mixing heroism with advertising.

    Fillion said Guy enjoys being recognised as someone special and believes marketing naturally accompanies that position. His financial ambitions also play a role: Guy dreams of opening his own bar, and achieving that goal requires money.

    “For that, you need corporate sponsorship,” Fillion explained.

    In other words, Guy does not see commercial partnerships as compromising his heroic identity. He considers branding another tool—one that can build his public profile while funding the future he wants.

    Fillion described him as someone who understands both the superhero business and the actual business surrounding superheroes.

    Rushville remains haunted by Hal and John’s decisions

    Guy’s polished public image exists in stark contrast to the painful history surrounding the Green Lantern name.

    A decade earlier, Hal Jordan and John Stewart became caught in the devastating Battle of Rushville.

    Hal, played by Kyle Chandler, was desperate to prevent his younger partner from replacing him. His decisions helped bring an extraterrestrial confrontation directly into Rushville, placing both John and the town’s population in danger.

    A disillusioned John, portrayed by Aaron Pierre, eventually took Hal’s ring before abandoning the very object he had spent years trying to earn. The destruction left Rushville’s residents deeply suspicious of Green Lanterns and permanently damaged the organisation’s public image.

    When the Guardians selected Guy as Earth’s next Green Lantern, he inherited more than a powerful ring. He also inherited a reputation in need of repair.

    That is where LordTech’s public-relations machine apparently became useful.

    Kelly Macdonald Jason Ritter Lanterns Split Publicity H 2026 Daily Global Diary - Authentic Global News


    Was Guy’s Green Lantern beacon really an apology?

    In Episode 6, titled “Bad Optics,” Guy installs a Green Lantern beacon in Rushville resembling Gotham’s famous Bat-Signal.

    The symbol is presented as an attempt to rebuild trust following the destruction caused by his predecessors. Fillion believes Guy genuinely wanted the beacon, but he suspects the decision was also influenced by LordTech’s damage-control specialists.

    The actor described it as the likely product of a team working to improve the Green Lantern brand rather than a purely personal act of compassion.

    John eventually uses the beacon to summon Guy and asks him to obtain Hal’s decommissioned ring from the Guardians of the Universe. He believes the ring could help him investigate Hal’s death.

    Guy initially resists, but John reminds him of an uncomfortable truth: Guy only received his current position because John rejected it ten years earlier.

    According to Fillion, John deliberately pulls on that thread to secure Guy’s cooperation. By helping him retrieve the ring, Guy can consider the old debt repaid.

    The relationship between the two men is therefore built on pride rather than friendship. They understand one another and share the rare experience of being selected by the Corps, but they do not truly regard themselves as colleagues.

    ‘Man of Tomorrow’ will explore Lex Luthor more deeply

    Fillion will return as Guy Gardner in Man of Tomorrow, the 2027 follow-up to James Gunn’s Superman.

    The actor stopped short of revealing specific plot details but explained the most important difference between the two films.

    While Superman allowed audiences to understand who Clark Kent truly is, Fillion believes Man of Tomorrow will reveal considerably more about Lex Luthor.

    “In this movie, I think we’ll learn more about who Lex Luthor is,” he said, adding that such an exploration is equally important.

    The new film brings back David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. Rachel Brosnahan will also return as Lois Lane, alongside Fillion, Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi.

    The story is expected to place Superman and Luthor in an uneasy alliance against the highly intelligent alien threat Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger. The film is scheduled to arrive in theatres on July 9, 2027.

    Nathan Fillion and James Gunn’s trusted partnership continues

    Fillion’s journey through the DCU is the latest chapter in his long creative relationship with writer-director James Gunn.

    Their collaboration began with Slither in 2006 and has since expanded across approximately a dozen projects.

    Fillion said Gunn remains fundamentally the same person he first worked with, despite the enormous expansion in the size and scope of his productions. He praised the filmmaker’s love of storytelling, ability to think on several creative levels and enthusiasm for his work.

    That trust may explain why Guy Gardner has quietly become one of the connective figures holding Gunn’s developing DC Universe together.

    He is arrogant, commercially ambitious and frequently difficult—but he is also fearless enough to wear the ring. In Fillion’s hands, those contradictions make Guy far more interesting than a conventional hero trying to do everything for the right reasons.

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    Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ Makes North American Premiere at TIFF

    ‘Stand Up and Resist’: Alex Gibney Sends Strong Message at ‘Musk’ Premiere

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    The four-hour documentary examines Elon Musk’s influence as Gibney urges audiences to resist unchecked power.

    Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney brought his ambitious documentary Musk to North America on Monday evening, using its Toronto International Film Festival premiere to deliver a forceful message about the unchecked power of technology billionaires.

    The documentary, which runs for approximately three hours and 45 minutes with a 10-minute intermission, examines the extraordinary rise and increasingly controversial influence of Elon Musk.

    During the festival appearance, Gibney urged audiences to look beyond the mythology surrounding the billionaire and question how much power society has allowed technology executives to accumulate.

    His message was direct: ordinary people must be prepared to “stand up and resist” when private wealth begins to exercise influence traditionally held by democratic institutions.

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    What does Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ explore?

    Musk follows its subject from his childhood in South Africa and early years in Silicon Valley to his leadership roles at Tesla and SpaceX, as well as his turbulent acquisition of Twitter, which he later renamed X.

    Rather than presenting a conventional biography, the documentary studies the construction of Musk’s public image—the visionary entrepreneur, space pioneer and self-described defender of free expression.

    Gibney then examines the people, companies and political relationships hidden behind that carefully maintained persona.

    The filmmaker said the documentary is ultimately about power: how it can corrupt, how it can expose a person’s character and how easily the public can surrender it to charismatic business leaders.

    Musk was initially planned as a considerably shorter production. Gibney expanded its scope after Musk endorsed Donald Trump and became more deeply involved in American politics.

    What began as a two-hour examination of an influential businessman eventually grew into a far broader investigation of wealth, government and technological control.

    Documentary includes voices from Musk’s personal and professional life

    Musk declined to participate directly in the production, despite what Gibney described as numerous formal attempts to contact him.

    To build the portrait without direct access, the filmmakers interviewed people who had witnessed different stages of Musk’s personal and professional journey.

    The participants include his former wife Justine Musk, his father Errol Musk, former Tesla chief executive and co-founder Martin Eberhard, technology journalist Kara Swisher and artificial-intelligence researcher Geoffrey Hinton.

    The film also features Ashley St. Clair, who has publicly discussed her personal relationship with Musk.

    Their interviews allow the documentary to approach its central figure from several directions rather than accepting the version of events presented through corporate publicity, social media or sympathetic biographies.

    images 7 1 Daily Global Diary - Authentic Global News


    Gibney challenges the mythology of individual genius

    During a question-and-answer session following the TIFF screening, an audience member asked Gibney whether he would prefer a world without Musk’s accomplishments.

    The director challenged the wording of the question.

    He argued that major companies such as Tesla and SpaceX were built by teams of engineers, executives and early founders whose contributions are frequently overshadowed by Musk’s personal brand.

    Gibney acknowledged Musk’s ability to promote ambitious ideas and attract talent and investment. However, he questioned the popular belief that every breakthrough associated with his companies should automatically be treated as his personal invention.

    The exchange reportedly drew applause from the Toronto audience and reflected one of the documentary’s larger themes: modern business culture often turns corporate leaders into near-mythical figures while thousands of employees disappear from the story.

    Musk rejected the film without participating

    Although Musk did not sit for an interview, he has not remained completely silent about the project.

    After the documentary’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Musk criticised Gibney on X and dismissed the production as a “hit piece.” His attorney also sent a letter challenging the filmmakers’ approach and suggesting that Musk’s perspective had not been fairly represented.

    Gibney disputed that account, saying his team repeatedly sought Musk’s participation but received no meaningful response during production.

    The director also noted the contradiction of someone closely associated with free-speech arguments threatening legal action against a critical documentary.

    The film uses an animated version of Musk, constructed from statements he has previously made in public. The unconventional device allows the documentary to create the impression of a conversation without fabricating new comments or claiming Musk participated.

    From Venice to North American theatres

    Musk received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival before making its North American debut at TIFF.

    The documentary was produced by Jigsaw Productions alongside Closer Media, Anonymous Content and Double Agent. It includes music by Daniel Pemberton and carries a running time of 225 minutes.

    Distributor Bleecker Street moved its theatrical release forward amid growing interest in the documentary. It is scheduled to open in New York and Los Angeles on October 9, followed by a wider release.

    For Gibney, however, the documentary is not intended to provide the final word on Musk. He hopes it will start a larger international conversation about who controls essential technology, public communications and political decision-making.

    The director’s argument reaches beyond one billionaire. Musk may be the subject on screen, but the film’s real question is aimed at the audience: How much power should any private individual be allowed to hold—and what happens when the public finally decides to take some of it back?

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    ‘Carrie’ Returns to Haunt a New Generation—but Is Eight Episodes Too Much?

    Amazon’s adaptation revisits teenage isolation, religious terror and revenge through a longer narrative.

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    ‘Carrie’ Returns to Haunt a New Generation—but Is Eight Episodes Too Much?

    The frightening thing about Carrie has always been how much of its horror feels ordinary. Before the supernatural powers come the humiliation, the isolation and the adults who make a vulnerable teenager’s life unbearable.

    Now, Mike Flanagan is bringing that story to Prime Video as an eight-episode series, scheduled to premiere on October 7, 2026. His adaptation revisits Stephen King’s 1974 novel with a contemporary setting and more room to explore the people surrounding its troubled protagonist.

    The early critical discussion turns on a familiar problem for streaming adaptations: a longer story can offer greater depth, but does greater depth necessarily make it more compelling?

    Summer H. Howell and Samantha Sloyan lead the new adaptation

    Summer H. Howell plays Carrie White, the sheltered teenager whose telekinetic abilities emerge amid bullying and abuse. Samantha Sloyan portrays Margaret White, her controlling, religiously fanatical mother.

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    The Daily Beast’s review praises the adaptation’s emotional approach, describing a Carrie who has more social confidence and a Margaret whose fears incorporate contemporary conspiracy thinking. It also highlights the use of a documentary-style framework to revisit the tragedy.

    Those changes suggest an adaptation interested in the environment that produces Carrie’s suffering, as well as the suffering itself. The mother-daughter relationship remains central to that story: home offers Carrie another source of fear when she desperately needs protection.

    The bullying follows Carrie onto her phone

    One of the clearest updates involves social media harassment.

    According to The Verge, an anonymous Instagram account becomes a tool for tormenting Carrie. The review argues that this digital dimension gives the familiar story renewed relevance.

    The implication is unsettling. Cruelty that once depended on a school corridor or a crowded classroom can now travel further, gather an audience and remain visible long after the original incident.

    For a story built around public humiliation, that is a meaningful change in setting rather than a merely cosmetic update.

    beaf58e3a604263e0dcef983278e00bc Daily Global Diary - Authentic Global News


    More time means more possibilities—and more scrutiny

    The longer format also gives supporting characters greater attention. The New York Post’s review welcomes the additional development of figures including Margaret White and Chris Hargensen, while noting that some new material could divide viewers.

    The Hollywood Reporter’s review headline, meanwhile, acknowledges Flanagan’s ability to expand the classic while questioning whether expansion was necessary.

    That distinction matters. Explaining more about a character can enrich a tragedy; it can also interrupt its momentum. An adaptation of Carrie must balance the desire to understand its world with the pressure of a story moving towards catastrophe.

    There are reservations about the supernatural additions, too. The Verge questions a subplot connecting Carrie’s abilities to King’s wider fictional universe, arguing that it weakens her agency.

    A familiar tragedy with a contemporary question

    Flanagan arrives with substantial experience adapting King, including Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep. His latest project gives him a different challenge: finding fresh emotional territory in a story many viewers already know.

    Early reviews offer reasons for interest, particularly the modern treatment of bullying and the expanded character work. They also leave a question hanging over the series: will eight episodes bring viewers closer to Carrie, or put more distance between them and the devastating simplicity of her story?

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