In light of the newly released Netflix series Dahmer that follows the events of the American serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, the idea of romanticizing infamous murderers has been circulating media platforms. From TikTok to Twitter, the conversation of American serial killers has been on the rise, yet not in the way one would expect. Over the past few years there have been multiple movies and TV shows released that share the stories of well known mass murderers, though there seems to be a common thread in all of these productions. The actor casted to play the role of the killer tends to always be well-liked and attractive to the younger generation. Considering the fact that teenagers these days weren’t alive when these horrific events actually took place, the fear of these films and series painting a false narrative is a risk facing media today. Below I will dig deeper into my personal thoughts about the productions, and how they’ve taken our generation by storm.
“Extremely Wicked, shockingly evil and vile”
A chronicle of the crimes committed by the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, was released in 2019 with Zac Efron taking on the role of Bundy. The title of the film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile were the last words judge Edward Cowart said to Bundy after sentencing, yet does this movie fully portray just how evil he truly was?
The film doesn’t go into detail about what he did, more of an overview of his life up until the point of the killings. The movie is from the point of view of his long term girlfriend Liz Kloepfer, their relationship and Bundy’s life were portrayed in depth, but were the gruesome murders left out on purpose? It’s almost as if the producer wanted the audience to feel bad for Bundy. The film features his known good looks and charisma, but seemed to have left out what he exactly was capable of.
We all know Zac Efron as the heartthrob of the early 2000s, for his role as Troy Bolton in High School Musical. So why cast him as a serial killer? Efron was able to capture the charming personality Bundy is known for extremely well, but it almost forces viewers to look past the idea that he used his those same good looks and personality as a tactic to manipulate his victims.
“My friend dahmer” & “dahmer”
Over the course of the past few years two different true crime productions bringing the horrific story of Jeffery Dahmer to the big screen have been released, My Friend Dahmer starring Ross Lynch and Dahmer starring Evan Peters. The media has been buzzing ever since, but not exactly for the right reasons.
Considering the fact that both Peters and Lynch are known and well-loved actors among the younger generation, it’s almost as if their portrayals of the role have created a false narrative as to who Jeffery Dahmer truly was. Both of the productions are extremely well done and depict the gritty details of the events, but still I wonder, why did they cast these specific actors? Ross Lynch, known for his role as Austin on Disney’s Austin and Ally has always been popular for his looks, especially over the past few years that he’s been touring with his band “The Driver Era.” How is the same person possibly portraying an infamous serial killer? There’s no doubt that Lynch was able to play the role, though there seems to be a miscommunication when it comes to separating Ross Lynch as a person, from his role as Dahmer. Viewers are misled by seeing one of their favorite actors play such a gruesome role, not fully realizing that Lynch’s interpretation of Dahmer was exactly that, an interpretation, not who Dahmer actually was.
The same idea can be connected to the recent Netflix series Dahmer, where Evan Peters plays the role of the killer. A situation almost too similar to that of Ross Lynch, Peters is most recognized for his character, Tate, on American Horror Story. Peters takes on the role of Dahmer in the hit Netflix series extraordinarily well, but I feel as though younger viewers are getting the wrong idea. Seeing an actor you love in any movie almost distracts you from the fact that they’re not actually the character they’re playing. Evan Peters was not remotely who Jeffery Dahmer was, and I feel as though casting him has given the audience the wrong idea, even beginning to feel empathy for the killer. I’ve come across multiple social media posts sympathizing for Dahmer. Would this be the case if such popular actors weren’t casted to take on the role?
True crime series and films have always been used as a platform to inform viewers, yet more often than not they end up projecting a dangerously different view. Yes, casting actors that everyone loves will up the ratings, but at what cost? Serial killers are being glamorized in Hollywood today, the false imagery is almost creating a love for criminals. A number of TikTok trends have circulated in response to the productions, “If Dahmer offered me..”, and young girls using make up to create the illusion of fake blood and bruises, acting as if they were one of Bundy’s victims. This type of content shows that there are true consequences of depicting serial killers in a positive or attractive light.
The “hot serial killer” trope has fully taken our generation by storm, and it doesn’t seem to be coming to an end any time soon, with new and upcoming releases it seems as though this is becoming the “norm.” Regardless of who Hollywood decides to cast, audiences need to become aware that these productions shouldn’t justify nor glamorize the criminals and the unforgivable acts they committed.