Ed Gein had a long-lasting effect on American Pop Culture, and there are many movies based on Ed Gein’s life, but they weren’t as successful as these three movies. These three Hollywood movies are not entirely based on Ed Gein, but if you watch them after learning about Ed Gein, you will find many similarities.
Psycho (1960)
Psycho (1960) is one of the favorite films among cinephiles and one of the popular films in the thriller genre. Psycho tells the story of Norman Bates, who killed his mother and couldn’t bear the guilt of it, so he creates an alternate personality of his mom and starts taking care of his mom’s dead body.
Psycho draws influence from Ed Gein’s real-life mother-son relationship. Ed and his mom had a strong psychological relationship. Ed Gein’s mother was a religious fanatic who hated women, and there were rumors that Ed Gein’s brother, Henry, got killed because she wanted to marry a widow woman. Ed Gein’s mother had a great influence on him.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre is known as one of the best slasher films ever made. The film displays graphic violence that no other film in the 1970s ever showed. The film was even banned due to its graphic violence. The killer in the movie used to wear a human face as a mask on his face. The police found some human faces in Ed Gein’s house, leading them to think he might have worn them.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
The Silence of the Lambs has a cult status among film fans. The killer in the film is inspired by Ed Gein. The film’s killer targets overweight women and uses their skin to make a woman’s suit. I don’t think I need to explain how it is inspired by Ed Gein.
The three films I’ve discussed didn’t just take inspiration from Ed Gein; they also drew inspiration from other serial killers as well.