My Friend Dahmer: A Troubling and Strangely Moving Character Study

There have been many movies and documentaries about the notorious Milwaukee-born serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. There have also been many movies that are told from the perspective of a serial killer. American Psycho and Patty Jenkins’ 2003 Monster instantly come to mind. But My Friend Dahmer is one of the best movies featuring a serial killer in recent memory.

Though it’s strange to say this movie is about a serial killer because it takes place during Jeffrey Dahmer’s years in high school right before he murdered Steven Hicks in his parent’s abandoned house. And Dahmer never physically murders anyone on-screen for the duration of the entire movie. But the presence of the serial killer he eventually becomes is prevalently felt in every frame of this movie. It’s one of the best and most disturbing things about My Friend Dahmer.

Credit: FilmRise / "My Friend Dahmer"

As you’re watching a young and troubled Dahmer walk the halls of his school, act out in class, try to find where he belongs, and struggle with his burning desire to hurt someone, you know in the back of your mind where the story inevitably leads. You know what he eventually becomes. And it’s utterly haunting. It manages to get under your skin and leave a lasting impression even though the movie ends right before his first murder.

Credit: FilmRise / "My Friend Dahmer"

Director and writer Marc Meyers could have easily painted Dahmer in a negative light and made him out to be the monster that he was. But instead, he takes a very unique and excellent approach to the story. He has crafted a compelling character study of Jeffrey Dahmer that’s empathetic. We may not be able to relate to his anti-social behavior, his hobby of skinning roadkill, or his bizarre sexual fantasies. But Meyers brings us so close to Dahmer that we understand his feelings and what he’s thinking. We see the world entirely through Dahmer’s troubling perspective and it’s almost heartbreaking to watch him spiral into the darkness that eventually consumes him.

Credit: FilmRise / "My Friend Dahmer"

Although we see Dahmer descend down this horrible path, the movie never tries to make it seem as though bullying, alcoholism, his parents’ divorce, his escalating homosexuality, or even a combination of the above, were responsible for his actions. He rejected help from others constantly and chose to fully embrace the darkness entirely on his own.

Credit: FilmRise / "My Friend Dahmer"

Meyers does an incredible job recreating Dahmers world. And we aren’t left with many questions. The only question left unanswered is the mystery of Jeffrey Dahmer himself. And Meyers never attempts to solve this mystery because no one will ever be able to fully understand the mentally ill man that eventually let police into his apartment and willingly confessed to his heinous crimes. But My Friend Dahmer gets us closer than we’ve ever been before. And the final result is one that’s both profoundly haunting and strangely moving.

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