On Sept. 21 Netflix released the bone-chilling TV series about Jeffrey Dahmer, an American serial killer, cannibal and sex offender.
When I sat down to watch this show a couple of days ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I had seen a few clips here and there on TikTok but I’ll admit I thought it was a documentary at first.
It is, in fact, not your typical documentary.
In the past, I wouldn’t have considered myself a raging Evan Peters fan (besides when he appeared in “WandaVision”) but after this show, my opinions have changed.
Peters really encapsulated the “dead eyes” that Dahmer seemed to always don. In fact, his portrayal was so to the tee I would argue they even sound the same.
According to a featurette for Netflix, Peters said to get himself into character, he watched an interview of Dahmer from 1994.
Peters said, “Dahmer is interesting in that he is almost regretful and has guilt and confusion on what went on. He doesn’t really have a charming, mischievous smile”
This is honestly why this show was so disturbing was because Dahmer himself had “disassociated” from his actions and Peters successfully brought that characteristic to the screen.
Films like “Extremely Wicked; Shockingly Evil and Vile” which is about Ted Bundy are just as disturbing but the serial killers themselves were different in that Bundy showed a lot of emotion whereas Dahmer expressed almost nothing.
Another point that is important to make is how the killings are in the perspective of the victims not Dahmer, making the audience feel the victims feelings as well.
Emotions personally had me hiding under my blanket and taking several breaks while watching the show.
According to the feature with Netflix, the producers and everyone involved wanted to avoid the show being from Dahmer’s perspective at all costs. By doing so, they steer clear of making any audience members feel sympathy toward Dahmer and his actions thus having the only sympathy granted to the victims and their families.
Though, unfortunately, there is a lot of controversy as some people are deciding to romanticize Dahmer because he is played by an attractive actor. This is similar to when Ross Lynch played Dahmer in “My Friend Dahmer” and when Zac Efron played Ted Bundy.
Sometimes in the film industry, audiences have a hard time differentiating the character with the actor, nonetheless it is important to make an effort to separate the two especially with a show like this where the main purpose is to remember and bring justice to the victims.
The show also included how homophobia and racism during this time got in the way of catching Dahmer. This made the story not just about Dahmer but about important issues going on in today’s world.
Though it’s definitely a difficult show to watch I highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to watch as it will bring more awareness to the families who were affected.