Key Highlights
- Top of the Charts, But Losing Steam: Monster: The Ed Gein Story secured the No. 1 spot on Netflix in its first full week with 20.7 million views.
- Significant Viewership Drop: Despite its ranking, the series shows a notable decline in daily viewership, failing to match the massive traction of the franchise’s first installment, Dahmer.
- Tracking Closer to Menendez: The show’s performance is now more comparable to the second season, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, suggesting it won’t become the cultural behemoth Dahmer was.
- Shift in Viewer Appetite?: The success of lighter shows like Is It Cake? Halloween during the same period may indicate audiences are looking for alternatives to dark, true-crime dramas.
‘Ed Gein Story’ Tops Charts, But Can’t Escape Dahmer’s Shadow
Ryan Murphy’s latest true-crime installment, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, has officially claimed the top spot on Netflix’s weekly TV charts. In its first full week (October 13-19), the series captivated audiences, pulling in an impressive 20.7 million views. However, a closer look at the numbers reveals a worrying trend for the once-unstoppable franchise.
A Tale of Declining Numbers
While the series ascended from the 12.2 million views it gained in its initial four days, its week-over-week traction is slowing significantly. The average number of views per day—a key indicator of sustained interest—dropped from approximately 4.1 million in its opening weekend to just 2.9 million in the following week.
This performance stands in stark contrast to the series that started it all, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The first Monster offering maintained a powerful average of around 4.4 million views per day through its first full week. The current season’s trajectory is now tracking much closer to the second installment, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which also saw similar numbers (an average of 2.8 million views per day). This suggests that while still popular, The Ed Gein Story is unlikely to achieve the record-breaking success of Dahmer and will almost certainly fail to break into Netflix’s all-time most popular list, where Dahmer proudly sits at No. 4.
Are Audiences Growing Tired of True Crime?
The data may hint at a broader shift in audience taste this Halloween season. While Monster deals with gruesome, real-life horror, the second most-watched series of the week was the decidedly lighter Is It Cake? Halloween. The holiday edition of the baking competition show devoured 5.7 million views, proving that spooky season doesn’t have to be grim.
Following closely behind was the celebrity docuseries Victoria Beckham, which garnered 5.6 million views, indicating a strong appetite for personality-driven stories.
Other Netflix Hits This Week
Elsewhere on the platform, the film chart was dominated by The Woman in Cabin 10, which debuted strongly at No. 1 with 21.2 million views. The animated hit Kpop Demon Hunters continued its incredible run, landing in second place with 17.8 million views in its 17th week in the Top 10. Meanwhile, the true-crime documentary My Father the BTK Killer also found a significant audience, securing third place with 5.7 million views.