Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story tracks the life and cannibalistic crimes of one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, Jeffrey Dahmer.
Starring Evan Peters in the eponymous role, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story adds yet another cap in the feather to the American serial killer legacy after previous dramatizations of Jeffrey Dahmer in The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer (1993) Dahmer (2002), and My Friend Dahmer (2017).
Starring Niecy Nash, Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, and Penelope Anne Miller in supporting roles, the horror-thriller series is fashioned after true crime shows as it recreates Dahmer’s story in chillingly graphic tones. The 2022 Netflix series is created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy of the American Horror Story series fame.
The Story
When Jeffrey Dahmer’s (Evan Peters) eighteenth victim, Tracy Edwards (Shaun Brown), manages to break free from the serial killer’s clutches and alert the police, Dahmer is finally exposed for all his previous murders and dismemberments.
As the Milwaukee Police Department arrests Dahmer and begins an incisive investigation into one of America’s most dangerous serial killers, Dahmer’s testimony reveals bone-chilling murders and dismemberments committed against 17 different men in 13 years.
Jeff’s neighbor Glenda Cleveland’s story is uncovered as the upstanding citizen who alerted the police repeatedly against suspicious activity at her neighbor’s apartment. Her testimony exposes the police’s incompetency and racism.
As the investigation proceeds, Jeffrey’s father Lionel Dahmer (Richard Jenkins) struggles with the truth about his son and his inner demons while the police uncover more unsettling facts about Jeff’s crimes. The victims’ families grapple with the painful revelation of the boys’ deaths.
Reasons To Stream
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story draws out the Milwaukee Cannibal’s tale in rigorous detail, representing the serial killer’s crimes and misdemeanors from various perspectives. The Netflix series is commendable for exploring different aspects of the case instead of fixating solely on the gruesome murders, exhibiting the repercussions on the victims’ families, Dahmer’s parents and neighbors, and the police department.
The multiple perspectives in the episodes help cover an incisive panorama of the infamous case. The show tracks Jeffrey Dahmer from his childhood to his death, attempting to locate the impetus that drove him to commit the unspeakable crimes.
To its credit, the show addresses the aftermath of Dahmer’s arrest in equal detail, something that the previous shows on Dahmer often overlooked. Besides representing Dahmer as the evident offender, the show does not shy away from exposing the police’s negligence and racial profiling as accountable for allowing such crimes to go unnoticed in society.
Episode 7 is pivotal in giving Glenda the voice that went unheard for so long. The simultaneous shots depicting Glenda receiving the Citizens’ Merit Award and the suspended police awarded the Officers of The Year juxtapose the injustices prevalent in society, exposing the hypocrisy and inadequacy of the system that rewards negligence and racism while true bravery goes unnoticed.
The show also attempts to expose society’s reaction to such traumatic events that easily neglect victims’ traumas and apathetically glorify the offender’s crimes.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story recreates the life and times of the late 20th century with remarkable precision, and every cast member essays their role with a commendable sentiment.
Evan Peters delivers an outstanding performance in portraying a convincing image of the Milwaukee serial killer as he manages to evoke wary pity alongside staunch revulsion to his crimes. Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, and Penelope Anne Miller portray the struggles of a parent, each representing different parenting techniques and reactions. Niecy Nash is exemplary as Glenda Cleveland, successfully conveying the indignancy, injustice, and sheer horror her character faced as the gruesome murderer’s next-door neighbor.
Reasons To Skip
The newest Netflix true crime thriller’s efficacy in relaying Jeffrey Dahmer’s tale is apprehended by its unbridled focus on the gory aspects of the case in the whopping 527 minute-runtime of the series. Viewers need to address the trigger alert before beginning the series, as the overly violent re-enactments of Dahmer’s gruesome dismemberments create a rather queasy and unwatchable experience.
The show’s constantly skewing timeline adds to its disorienting experience, making it unnecessarily convoluted. The show’s excessive run-time becomes monotonous and sickeningly gory through its recursive depiction of Dahmer’s murders before finally representing its aftermath and alternative perspectives.
The show attempts to reflect the dishonor brought to the victims and their families by Dahmer’s unsavory glorification through distasteful comic books and fan mail. However, the irony is glaringly evident as the show itself exploits the glamorization and fetishization of serial killers like Dahmer in creating yet another show on the Milwaukee cannibal.
The Verdict
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story attempts an unbiased view of the notorious American serial killer’s case, representing the aftermath and experiences of those involved in the case from various perspectives. However, the show itself falls into the trap of exploiting society’s distasteful interest in the lives of infamous serial killers.
Despite addressing the injustice in the simultaneous glorification of Dahmer and erasure of the victims’ traumas, the show becomes another conduit in glamorizing Dahmer’s tale through its perverse dwelling upon Dahmer’s harrowing murders and dismemberment.
Rating: 3/5
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is now streaming on Netflix.
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