There were high expectations for Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which was released on the internet in September. Ryan Murphy is the man behind hits like American Horror Story and American Crime Story. Instead of focusing on Dahmer, the idea was to look at the racial injustice and police incompetence that allowed the heinous acts to go on for as long as they did.
The show has become one of the most popular originals on the streaming service. One of the most controversial is it. The disturbing depictions of events and the traumatizing re-telling of stories that involved the brutal murder and dismemberment of several young men have caused many people to take issue with the series. Rita Isbell's emotional victim impact statement was recreated, verbatim, for the show, bringing back feelings Isbell did not want to have.
Dahmer's troubled childhood, long-held fascination with death, extreme loneliness, and the rituals he performed in hopes of keeping his victims close are highlighted in the story. They cooked and consumed some of their body parts. It is a sensitive story that needs to be told in a nice series.
Evan Peters does a great job of capturing the essence of the character. Peters portrayed Dahmer as a lost soul who was a victim of his own warped fantasies.
The story goes back and forth from Dahmer's childhood to his present day. Fans get a glimpse of Dahmer's problems. His parents' marriage, his mother's mental health struggles, his difficulties fitting in, and overall abandonment issues are just some of the things he has to contend with.
In order to explain factors that might have led to Dahmer's path, the story angles are spoon-fed to viewers. Lionel Dahmer is over the moon when his son expresses an interest in looking at roadkill. Lionel worked in science and his son has a genuine interest in it. This is countered by the fact that his father misinterpreted the signs and that it was a red flag. Lionel suggests that the drugs Dahmer's mother took could have altered his brain chemistry.
Dahmer caressing and kissing a decapitated victim's head, drinking bags of blood from the blood bank where he once worked, and declaring to a potential victim that he is going to eat his heart are some of the shocking scenes. It is hard to not include such shocking scenes and dialogue. The show doesn't take a gory or gruesome angle but some scenes are hard to watch.
The ending of the story that was drawn out over 10 episodes is not satisfying. The information cards at the end of true crime series show where various players are today and what has happened since. There isn't much else besides a tribute to the victims before the credits start rolling. You will be left with a lot of information once you finish watching.
If Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a success, it will examine why Dahmer was able to commit so many terrible acts for so long.
Many consider Glenda Cleveland to be a hero because of her convincing role in the Dahmer case. The character of Cleveland is based on a combination of Cleveland and Dahmer's real-life apartment neighbor Pamela Bass. The actors who play the victims and their parents and family members tug on heartstrings because they bring to life people who were previously only seen in photos and stories, not who they were before.
The police incompetence and racism that prevented Dahmer's capture for so long hasn't been explored indepth in other Dahmer re-tellings.
Young Black men and women are presenting accusations to police officers against a young white male. When Cleveland's daughter and niece call the police after finding Konerak Sinthasomphone, drugged and bleeding in the street, is the most upsetting.
The officers believed Dahmer's story that the young boy was actually his 19-year-old boyfriend who had too much to drink, instead of looking into the situation, checking ID, and Dahmer's previous arrests. The boy and five other people were killed by Dahmer.
The fact that Dahmer was a white man living in a predominantly Black neighborhood was brought up by one of the detectives during his post- arrest questioning. Is it possible that he chose the neighborhood because it was all he could afford, or that he knew he would have a better chance of getting away with what he was doing.
The racist angle is brought home when police imply a young Black accuser shouldn't judge Dahmer based on prior arrests because "he knows how it is"
The political and racial statements the show is trying to make are loud and clear, but they are more angering than healing. It's not the best way to honor the victims of injustice. It encourages a discussion about the potential cost of racism.
Peters does a great job portraying the killer. He makes Dahmer seem sympathetic, because he doesn't fit in. The tone and handling of the subject matter, particularly that of Dahmer's relationship with his father, makes him seem like a victim.
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story could have been better if it was two hours. The slow pacing was designed to tackle the various stages of Dahmer's life and crimes, and his descent further and further into acting. He brutally murdered, assault, dismember, and consume 17 people. If the goal is to humanize the victims, that is a lot of murder to cover. The result is confusing and uncomfortable.
Those familiar with Dahmer's story might not have been aware of the new perspectives presented in Monster. You will get more out of Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes. If you like true crime and are interested in serial killers, you won't be missing out if you wait for that.
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available to watch on the internet.
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