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DAHMER -- The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – Monster

Play trailer 2:31 Poster for DAHMER -- The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – Monster Sep 2022 Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Ed Gein, a seemingly harmless Wisconsin recluse in the 1950s, commits horrific crimes that shock the nation.
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Monster — DAHMER -- The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Monster — DAHMER -- The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Critics Reviews

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Jessica Winter The New Yorker 12/08/2022
It’s quite possible that “Dahmer”—despite brilliant performances from Nash, Peters, and the great Richard Jenkins as Dahmer’s father, Lionel—has no real justification for its own existence. Go to Full Review
Andrew Male The Times (UK) 10/24/2022
A slow-burn descent into a grotesque damaged world, bolstered by Evan Peters’s chillingly believable central performance... Go to Full Review
Melanie McFarland Salon.com 10/01/2022
It is gruesome, disturbing, and unnervingly precise in re-creating Dahmer's history and the legend that has arisen around him. It is also an example of how the Ryan Murphy brand can be at odds with a story's mission. Go to Full Review
Mini Anthikad-Chhibber The Hindu 10/04/2023
Though the Netflix show, based on the life and crimes of the serial killer, purports to tell the victims’ stories, it ends up cannibalising its own good intentions. Go to Full Review
Akos Peterbencze Vulnerable Man (Medium) 07/25/2023
While I don't think that the series is a complete miss, I can't help but feel that there was a much greater potential to fulfill here. Go to Full Review
Steve Murray ArtsATL 11/08/2022
Except for the sixth episode, which turns away from the tedium of Dahmer himself to focus on the life of one of his victims, the show is a chore... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Amber T. @evansgirl07 5d Evan Peters is incredible in this See more Min A @MinAkitasvara Jan 9 Serial killers should never be turned into heroes. This series is most powerful when it examines chronic alcohol addiction, drugging to facilitate sexual assault, and extreme violence through the lens of loss, centering on the profound grief of families whose young loved ones were murdered. We extend our deepest sympathies to those families. Many times, we tried to understand the motivations of those who hurt us. That effort proved to be a mistake. It left us trapped in emotional wounds, encouraged misplaced compassion, and extended the cycle of harm, while the abusers themselves felt no guilt or accountability. Other times, we realized that not every offender needs to be understood, and not every act can be explained in a way that brings healing. Sometimes, the healthiest response is simply to acknowledge who they are and let them go. No story should allow its subject to keep hurting us. May freedom of heart find its way to all of us. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story See more UC @TripleNegation Nov 8 This series doesn't merely condemn Jeffrey Dahmer as an innate evil; instead, it adopts a method of deconstruction to analyze the process by which his crimes were formulated. Dahmer’s actions are presented as the cumulative result of numerous isolated factors: his Caucasian background, a slightly autistic personality, childhood emotional deficiency, the morbid hobby (taxidermy) shared with his father, neglected adolescence, compounded rejection, slightly differing sexual orientation, and the first accidental event. All these elements accumulated, much like ingredients slowly combining through the holes in a slice of cheese, creating the resulting product that was Dahmer. By following this cold, observational analysis of the composition process, the show completely captivates the viewer. A powerful intellectual shock occurs when the drama reaches its climax, compelling us to understand Dahmer as simply a man who failed in his awkward quest for love. This compelling, uncomfortable empathy is the intended result of the show's deliberate and intelligent direction. This uneasy feeling ultimately leads to social introspection. We realize that by resorting to the easy conclusion of "He is a psychopath," we are often concealing the deeply irresponsible sentiment of "I don't have the social capacity to understand his complexity." Furthermore, when contrasting Dahmer's evil born from emotional deficiency with the greed-driven evil seen in other series (like the Menendez brothers), Dahmer's actions are left with an irony—they appear to possess a kind of "Purity" belonging to a deeply wounded existence. Dahmer is far more than just a serial killer's story; it is an excellent psychological drama that deeply explores the shadows of modern society and the complexity of the human condition. See more Connor S Nov 6 Very dark and disturbing, Evan Peters disappears into this monstrous role, but it really fell apart towards the end and the way they depicted some of the killings felt disrespectful and exploitative See more Alec N. @AlecS Nov 6 Plain awful, I couldn’t imagine being a relative/friend of one of the victims and watching the reenactments of their demise while the killer has their life shown through flashbacks prompting the viewer to sympathize/understand their point of view. He’s just a nut. Many are dealt the same cards at birth and don’t follow in those footsteps. The acting’s ok, nothing special. See more Lauren P. @laurennpendroy Nov 2 So disturbing. So well put together. Couldn’t take my eyes off of it! See more Read all reviews
Monster — DAHMER -- The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

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Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Episode One After throwing his neighbor off the stench coming from his apartment, Jeff heads to a bar, where a stranger takes him up on a tempting offer. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Please Don't Go Young Jeff contends with troubles at home and school; years later, his strange behavior evolves into murderous deeds. Details Episode 3 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Doin' a Dahmer On his own after his parents' turbulent divorce, high school senior Jeff invites a hitchhiker into his home. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 21, 2022 The Good Boy Box From high school to the army, Jeff struggles to find stability; while living in his grandmother's house, Jeff begins targeting young men at gay bars. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Blood on Their Hands Jeff's list of victims grows longer without resulting in a full police investigation; an encounter with a teen lands him in jail; later, he gets his own apartment. Details Episode 6 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Silenced Aspiring model Tony moves to Madison and meets Jeff at a bar, beginning a relationship through handwritten notes that takes a dark turn. Details Episode 7 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Cassandra An activist meets with Glenda, who recounts her experience living next door to Jeff and how her concerns went largely ignored. Details Episode 8 Aired Sep 21, 2022 Lionel As Jeff awaits trial, his father deals with his owns demons; the Milwaukee police try to save face; victims' families share their stories. Details Episode 9 Aired Sep 21, 2022 The Bogeyman Glenda and the victims and their families try to move forward despite haunting memories; Jeff attracts fanfare from behind bars. Details Episode 10 Aired Sep 21, 2022 God of Forgiveness, God of Vengeance In prison, Jeff's newfound fame makes him a target; his parents seek closure, while Glenda pushes for a memorial to honor the victims. Details
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Season Info

Creator
Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan
Executive Producer
Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Alexis Martin Woodall, Carl Franklin, Janet Mock, Eric Kovtun
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 21, 2022
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