Why do many people seem to be fascinated by true crime stories, especially when it's about the lives of serial killers? I guess it's a morbid curiosity. As human nature, we keep wanting to watch these documentaries and movies. It's not because people enjoy watching horrific stuff, but we're trying to wrap our minds around how a person can be capable of doing something so dark and sinister.
Within this month alone, Netflix has brought us two new series on the infamous Wisconsin serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. First was docuseries Conversations With A Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, and Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a 10-episode dramatisation featuring actor Evan Peters who dives into the disturbed psyche of serial killer.
The series starts in 1991, the day Dahmer (Peters) is finally arrested after police uncover the horror of the murders at his apartment in Milwaukee. The series soon takes us back through Dahmer's childhood in the 70s and other different timelines to see what led him to become a murderer. The story is told from Dahmer's perspective and some of the victims. The show also focuses on the bureaucratic and law enforcement failures at the time that allowed Dahmer to continue a killing spree for many years.
First of all, Dahmer is definitely not for the faint of heart, and it is indeed a disturbing watch. If you have seen a fictional serial killer show like Dexter before and think you can handle this show too, think again. The tone of Dahmer is sinister and much darker. Other than the drama about his personal life, the series also recounts Dahmer's crimes in graphic detail, which includes sexual violence, drugging, animal abuse and dissection, murder, and even cannibalism. It's definitely not one you want to watch with the family.
The first episode alone will have your heart sinking as it's dark as heck. The majority of the episode shows Dahmer spending moments with a captured victim in his apartment room. You're right there in the room with them, watching their conversation, watching this horrific series of events unfold in real time. It is hard to watch, and that's why I think the show has done its job. The script is well-written, the cinematography is beautiful and all the acting here is top-notch.
Peters in particular does a fantastic job at portraying this kind of normal bloke, with a deadpan emotionless face who is a crazy monster under the skin. The human mind is complex. It's not just black and white. As the story progresses, this series tries to dig deep into the mentality to make us ask questions such as to what led Dahmer to that dark path, and what spawned these murders? But thankfully, while walking a very fine line between making Dahmer relatable, it's clear to the viewer that this is not someone to root for.
We get to see some of the people that have been affected by Dahmer, and also the inadequacies of American policing for allowing this to continue. Most of Dahmer's victims were men from minority communities, which begs the question, if they had investigated properly, could they have saved lives and gotten the killer to jail much quicker? Sadly, that didn't happen.
Despite being an uncomfortable watch at times, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is able to effectively build tension while balancing the morality displayed. It's a show that has a real edginess and provides a fresh, unflinching and comprehensive account of the disturbing life of a killer.
- Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Starring Evan Peters, Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, Niecy Nash
- Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan
- Now streaming on Netflix
