Max Winkler has opened up about finding a new sense of creative purpose while working within Ryan Murphy’s television universe, reflecting on Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Love Story and the career struggles that changed his approach to filmmaking.
The director said that moving between high-profile television projects allowed him to embrace ideas on a larger scale while still preserving the specificity and care that shaped his earlier independent films. His collaboration with Murphy, meanwhile, has developed into an ongoing creative partnership built around trust, experimentation and the desire to surprise one another.
Max Winkler Reflects On The Turning Point In His Career
Winkler’s transition into Murphy’s world came after a difficult period following his 2020 film Jungleland. The boxing drama, starring Charlie Hunnam and Jack O’Connell, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival but was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that the filmmaker described as deeply disappointing. The experience pushed Winkler to reconsider what he wanted from his career.
He said he stopped trying to imitate filmmakers he admired and instead accepted himself as a craftsman who could work across different kinds of projects. That shift eventually allowed him to approach television differently. Rather than viewing larger productions as a compromise, Winkler began looking for ways to bring his own visual instincts, attention to detail and filmmaking sensibility into stories designed for a much broader audience.
Working With Ryan Murphy Gives Winkler Creative Freedom
Winkler first entered Murphy’s television universe by directing episodes of American Horror Stories and American Horror Story in 2021. The collaboration gradually expanded, with Winkler later working across projects including the Monster anthology, Love Story, The Shards and Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans.
The filmmaker described his relationship with Murphy as a creative back-and-forth. Murphy may hand him a script or an idea, and if Winkler connects with it, they discuss influences and the desired tone before production begins. Winkler said he then tries to push himself to surprise Murphy with the finished work. He described that process almost like a dare, with both filmmakers attempting to impress one another while building on the same creative foundation.
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Lizzie Borden Became An Unexpected Creative Challenge
Winkler learned about Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story while he was shooting Love Story and editing Ed Gein. When Murphy asked what he knew about Lizzie Borden, Winkler immediately connected with the material. He was drawn to the writing’s rhythm, dark humour, energy and feminine perspective. More importantly, he said he felt empathy for Lizzie when she is introduced in the story.
That emotional connection became an important part of his approach to the series. Winkler has described the project as a very dark comedy, using humour alongside themes of sexism, violence and female rage rather than treating the story as a straightforward historical thriller. The tone also influenced the performances. Charlie Hunnam, who has worked with Winkler on several projects, said the director’s sense of humour helped establish the unusual balance between comedy and darker material.
Love Story And Lizzie Borden Helped Winkler Find Meaning
Winkler said his recent work has given him something he had not experienced earlier in his career: the chance to make projects that reach audiences while they are still fresh and then interact with people about them. That connection has changed how he thinks about art and success. He acknowledged that filmmakers naturally want people to see the work they spend years creating, even though the creative process itself should not depend entirely on the result.
His experience making Love Story, Ed Gein and Lizzie Borden has therefore become part of a larger personal shift. Winkler feels he can now take ideas that once seemed outside his comfort zone and still approach them with the specificity and craftsmanship that define his work. For the filmmaker, that balance between commercial television and personal creative expression has become an important part of building a career on his own terms.
Final Take
Max Winkler’s work with Ryan Murphy has helped reshape his creative journey, giving him room to explore larger stories without abandoning his individual filmmaking approach. From Love Story to Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the director has found new meaning in creating ambitious projects while staying closely connected to his own instincts as a filmmaker.
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