Dahmer: the controversial serial killer drama

Although he was caught in 1991 and died in prison in 1994, the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer seems alive as ever. In September 2022, Netflix released a limited drama series about his horrific deeds and the suffering of his victims: 'Dahmer - Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story.'

The show quickly became one of the platform's most successful programs ever. At the same time, it angered people, making it one of Netflix's most controversial programs as well. What happened, and what are the problems with the portrayal of Dahmer on TV?

Image: Netflix

'Dahmer - Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story' premiered on Netflix on September 21, 2022. The series stars Evan Peters as Jeffrey L. Dahmer, a man who killed at least 17 people in the 70s and the 80s. Many of his victims were people of color and from the LGBTQ+ community.

Image: Netflix

The creator of the series is Ryan Murphy, the producer and director known for acclaimed series like 'American Horror Story,' 'Ratched,' and 'Glee,' or films like 'Eat Pray Love.'

Image: 'Ratched' promotional material, Netflix

Murphy tells Dahmer's story from different perspectives. Each of the ten episodes focuses on one person’s experiences with the serial killer and his gruesome crimes. According to Evan Peters in an interview with Netflix, it was always the makers' intention to tell the story from any perspective except the killer's.

Image: Netflix

Through the eyes of his father, his neighbor who suspected something was wrong, the people he murdered, and the victims' families, the series tells the story of how a troubled, blood-thirsty individual could go on for years, killing people and keeping their bodies in his apartment, before he got caught by the police.

The series is critical of the American justice system that did not act fast enough to prevent Dahmer from making more victims. As Evan Peters told Netflix, cited by 'Time' magazine, the series is about "how society and our system failed to stop him multiple times because of racism, homophobia…. It's just a tragic story."

Image: the vacant lot where Dahmer's apartment building used to be

The drama series became a huge success. Within two weeks of its release, it had half a billion hours of viewership, 'Forbes' reports. This number puts the series on the level of 'Squid Game,' 'Stranger Things,' and 'Money Heist' - the platform’s most-watched shows ever.

Image: Netflix

On October 7, Netflix added further to the hype. It released a new documentary, 'Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer tapes,' which centers around bits of interviews with the murderer while he was in jail.

Image: 'Conversations with a Killer' promotional material, Netflix

As 'Forbes' reported in the following days, the three-part Dahmer docuseries quickly became Netflix’s number-2 show. It came right after the Dahmer fiction series, which was a steady number 1 among Netflix viewers.

The families of Dahmer’s victims voiced a complaint that is often heard about crime shows. They say, as 'Buzzfeed' summarizes it, that Netflix is profiting off the popularity of 'true crime,' a popular theme in films, series, books, and podcasts.

As they report on real-life events, true crime productions inform the public of what's happening in the world. At the same time, however, they are often enjoyed as entertainment. People have a good time following suspenseful crime stories, whether they are fiction or real. 'Buzzfeed' contributor Stephanie McNeal calls it the "true crime industrial complex."

The victims' families say that true crime programs are repeating the trauma for the victims by showing the suffering of their loved ones over and over again. In addition, true crime is a business that makes a lot of money.

The money made with true crime productions often does not end up with the victims' families, 'Time' emphasizes. As one of Dahmer’s victims' siblings, Rita Isbell, told 'Insider,' the makers of 'Dahmer - Monster' never informed the family about the series, nor were the family members expecting to get any of its profits.

A big complaint Netflix received is that Jeffrey Dahmer, who got 15 life sentences in jail and was supposed to be punished and out of sight forever, is now a widely recognized figure again. One could even say he's part of pop culture, for better or worse.

While he was still alive, the serial killer would already receive 'fan mail' in jail, the series recounts. By October 2022, a few weeks after the release of the drama series, the hashtag #Dahmer had more than a billion views on TikTok, 'Buzzfeed' reported. On other social media, his real and actor portraits went viral as well.

With the Netflix shows coming out in September and October, it's not unlikely that people will choose to dress up as the serial killer and cannibal during the Halloween season. In fact, as 'The Independent' reports, "Jeffrey Dahmer's aviator glasses are up for sale on eBay for £15.59 [$17.30]"

Image: Netflix

The Jeffrey Dahmer costume may become in 2022 what the 'Squid Game' costume was in 2021: a hype. But there’s one big difference: 'Squid Game' players were fictitious, while Dahmer and his victims were real.
Several media, including 'The Independent,' 'Yahoo,' and 'The Daily Star,' have warned their readers against dressing up as Dahmer for Halloween.

'Dahmer - Monster' has drawn attention to Evan Peters as a Hollywood talent. According to 'Forbes,' viewers say his impersonation of Dahmer resembles the real killer in the Netflix docuseries very well. "Fans have already been comparing the two, Evan Peters' Emmy nomination-bound performance, and the real Dahmer."

Image: Netflix

Peters played an interesting role in one of 2021's greatest TV hits: 'Mare of Easttown.' Before that, he worked with Ryan Murphy, where he portrayed other evil men like a school shooter and a cult leader, 'Buzzfeed' reminds us.

Image: American Horror Story

The better he plays the bad guy, 'Buzzfeed' claims, the more we empathize with the character. "When a gifted actor believably inhabits this role and performs social awkwardness well, the audience starts to develop empathy." We can see this on social media in the trending posts about Jeffrey Dahmer, 'Buzzfeed' and 'Forbes' argue.

Image: Netflix

Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey who Dahmer killed in 1991, was portrayed in the series as she spoke to the murderer in court. Initially, she said that she was honored to have been heard in the show. "I'm grateful the victims weren't an afterthought but their humanity and perspectives were reflected in this series," she tweeted.

However, she also wrote to 'Insider' that watching a part of the show "felt like reliving it all over again." And another family member (@ericthulhu) tweeted: "if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell's) are p***** about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies / shows / documentaries do we need?"

In the image: the list of victims on display during the trial of Dahmer in 1992

And there have been quite a few shows before. As 'Time' reminds us, Jeffrey Dahmer’s life story has been told several times. In 2017, Ross Lynch played the serial killer in 'My Friend Dahmer' (image), and in 2002, Jeremy Renner played him in the film 'Dahmer.'

A good thing about this new series, critics say, is that it pays attention to something people weren't talking about as much five or ten years ago: systemic racism. Thanks to social movements like Black Lives Matter, the 2022 series paid more attention to the racism that caused a white predator to get little scrutiny from police in a Black neighborhood than there had been in earlier media productions.

Despite the noble intentions of Ryan Murphy and Netflix, critics continue to argue that the series 'Dahmer - Monster: the Jeffrey Dahmer Story' gives too much unnecessary attention to a killer, up to the point of even "glorifying" him. At least, that's the word reviewers on 'Rotten Tomatoes' use.

Rotten Tomatoes, the website on which both critics and audiences can rate new movies and series, succinctly illustrates the paradox of the Dahmer controversy. Critics and the wider audience don't seem to agree about the series at all.

Image: Netflix

Critics give the series a 52% rating, saying: "While Monster is seemingly self-aware of the peril in glorifying Jeffrey Dahmer, creator Ryan Murphy's salacious style nevertheless tilts this horror story into the realm of queasy exploitation."

Image: Netflix

On the other hand, the audience score, illustrated with a box of popcorn for 'entertainment,' is a respectable 84%. Average viewers like the series, and it is unlikely to drop in the Netflix ranking any time soon.

Image: Netflix

"What’s happening is the opposite of what critics of the Dahmer series were hoping to see," 'Forbes' contributor Paul Tossi says. "Even with all the supposed outrage, the public's behavior is not reflecting that, and people just... really want to watch these series."

Image: Netflix