A low-key glimpse into the life and crimes of one of history's most notorious serial killers, Dahmer doesn't concern itself with the gruesome nature of its protagonist's horrific crimes, but rather the troubled mind of the man who committed them. Focusing on the later years in the life of Jeffrey Dahmer (Jeremy Renner), David Jacobson's film follows the troubled killer from department store to gay nightclub as he stalks his prey and battles his inner demons, all the while providing contrast to
current events with flashbacks from the days during which madness finally gained an inescapable grip on his already unstable mind. From his days in a Milwaukee chocolate factory to nights spent haunting the streets in search of prey, the viewer peers cautiously over the edge of an abyss so deep and so far-stretching that most minds will never fathom the truly monstrous nature of Dahmer's heretofore unprecedented crime spree. As he befriends and brings home yet another potential victim in the form of an outgoing young man named Rodney (Artel Kayaru), Dahmer is forced to confront his past as the two grow increasingly close over the course of the evening. Will Dahmer have a glimmer of humanity during a night of intimate and revealing conversation, or is it already too late for the unassuming young man who has fallen into the same trap as so many before him? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Since Dahmer resorts to standard slasher flick thrills when it should be most in the mind of the killer, it misses a major opportunity to be truly revelatory about his psyche.
Writer-director David Jacobson and his star, Jeremy Renner, have made a remarkable film that explores the monster's psychology not in order to excuse him but rather to demonstrate that his pathology evolved from human impulses that grew hideously twisted.
I was drawn to this film because of Jeremy Renner, who impressed me so much in The Hurt Locker. He does a really good job here as well.
If you are at all familiar with the horrific acts of Jeffrey Dahmer, you know that this could have easily been a bloody mess of a slasher / torture porn type film.
Luckily the film
maker took a more psychological appraoach and I think the film is more powerful because of it. Sure it is still deeply disturbing and slightly gory, but the story is told in such an interesting way that it made for pretty solid film.
April 8, 2010
Robert C
Super Reviewer
This movie definitely isn't for the faint of heart (but that shouldn't come as a surprise if you know anything about the real Dahmer).Renner impresses with his complex Dahmer. The movie focuses more on his reactions to his actions than his actions themselves, effectively capturing the disturbing aura oozing just
beneath his calm, reserved surface.
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