Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (Netflix)

[The2Omicronnies]

Has anyone started watching this? I’ve just watched the first episode and found it utterly chilling. It’s been a long time since a TV show has impacted me so much; I felt myself physically recoiling. Excellent acting from both the chap playing Dahmer, and his victim, Tracey.

I've just watched first episode my heart is in my mouth, so intense and disturbing. I feel a bit traumatised not sure if I want to continue 😱😱

Oh I was just about to sit and watch the first episode after my sil told me about it, well
she just said there was a good thing on Netflix about a serial killer you’d like, I presumed it was a documentary! I do like a good documentary! I’m guessing it’s not though? And it sounds like it’s really scary, possibly not for me late at night in the dark with an overactive imagination and dh downstairs no doubt asleep on the sofa! Never heard of the guy before either, I’m curious but don’t know if I’m curious enough to actually watch now…

Did any other viewers find the to-ing and fro-ing in time a bit confusing?

I can't turn it off but it's absolutely ducking terrifying.

That poor poor neighbour,knowing all the time and being dismissed.

And actually felt for his dad.

But what he did was absolutely horrendous beyond comprehension- can't say I'm sorry an inmate decided to take him out

He ate his victims ? And the necrophilia.....Jesus Christ.

I’ve just watched episode 2 and was quite uncomfortable in the way it strived to try and make us feel sorry for him in the sense that his Mum had severe mental health difficulties and his Dad was essentially a dismissive arsehole. Lots of people - like me, almost identical childhood- have these experiences and don’t go on to become serial killers. I suppose it’s just providing some background but I did feel a bit weird about it.

I don't think it was trying to make us feel sorry for him, I think it actually gives a good insight into things....he says he was born like that...so I don't think they are trying to say it was his mums mental health etc.
He had an intrest in dead animals etc from a young age it was just in him.

I think Evan is playing the part so well and so believable. The police that left the young lad thief eventually got the sack as well.
That was so awful. And the phone all from the neighbour afterwards which was real.

I think it's really good and reminds me of four lives with Stephen merchant and how well he played Stephen porter, it's strange how both serial killers are portrayed quite similar.

Yes, I thought that. I do think it could have been a couple of episodes shorter too. Some bits felt too long and drawn out.

Just watched the first episode. Bloody hell that is what white privelege looks like in action. All those people trying to alert the police and ignored.

I think the fear people are experiencing from watching this is due to it being based on a real life event.

If this was just a normal Netflix series it would almost be unbelievable, you'd think 'there's no way he would get away with it that long/no way on earth the police would return a 14 year old to a serial killer/how could they ignore his neighbour calling so many times? "

Also if it was just a fictional drama it would be uncomfortable to see him kill those men, but for me the horror of the program is that we are watching a dramatisation, a reenactment of real people's death.

The fear the actors portray, the sweat, the shaking, the realisation they are about to die... was all real.

That's why people are finding it so hard to watch, I think.

@nojokeboak yes I think that's it. I wonder if people feel the same about all the brutal rapes and killings in something like Game of Thrones, or whether it doesn't have the same effect because its fictional.
I've probably read more true crime books than I've had hot dinners, and books are always more graphic in a factual way. So stuff like this doesn't bother me. Doesn't mean that I don't find the facts horrific, but it's not scary and won't give me nightmares if I watch it late at night.

I think it’s extremely well made and produced and Evan Peters acting is amazing , he should get an award for this.

Its bleak and cold and emotionless but so was Dahmer , having watched a lot of his real life interviews.
I think the tone and style matches the real life horror.

His father was a strange character too now that I’ve watched a few interviews including the father and the fathers book etc.

I don’t find it scary , it’s factual and horrific but can watch it without being scared.

I disagree. I had no sympathy for Dahmer (and feeling sorry for people usually comes quite easily to me).

The police that left the young lad thief eventually got the sack as well.

The ones that took the young boy back to Dahmer, do you mean?

They were fired, appealled, won the appeal, were given $ compensation and worked until they retired - I think. 😡

Yes, they got their jobs back.

Horrendous isn’t it.

I think a huge amount of homophobia was involved in that particular episode. It’s almost like they thought gay people were peculiar and were laughing at what they perceived to be their weird ways and couldn’t wait to get rid of them so they could leave. Just horrible.

I’m glad to hear that. I hope others feel the same.

I think Evans absolutely nailed it. I've had a crush on him for YEARS. All his horrible characters I've always found him attractive regardless of who/what he is playing.
I've always had a bit of a perv when he's undressed in roles 😳but in this... Not a single ounce of attraction. His body in it repulsed me, I just couldn't stop thinking of where its been.

Glad there's a thread on this! Love Evan Peters, watch most of Ryan Murphy's stuff (next up is The Watcher on Netflix released next month!)

Been a fan of Peters since his portrayal of Tate Langdon in AHS and have stuck with him throughout.

Mare of Easttown was amazing, and he deserved his Emmy!

I agree with the PP who said ep 6 is the best. I'm really into true crime, listen to lots of podcasts, it's easy to view these as just stories and separate it from reality a bit. Breathing real life into the victims, their aspirations and vulnerabilities, and impact on the families is heartbreaking, but sobering and important.

I also liked the portrayal of Lionel Dahmer. I didn't hate him for loving his son. He wanted so desperately for him to be 'cured' and thought that therapy would help. I don't know if people like Dahmer could ever be rehabilitated, but it is an interesting thought. I also think he was able to keep up the love for him because he was behind bars. He couldn't hurt anyone again. I felt heartbroken watching him looking at his son's body at the end.

I also like the way the show examined both the systemic racism and homophobia in their investigations. Them believing the word of a white man over that of a black woman was powerful. I think both the race and sexuality of the men is what allowed Dahmer to get away with it for so long.

I really enjoyed it and it's given me a lot to think about.

I think it's explaining, I certainly don't feel sorry for serial killers.

Of course many people with similar childhoods and experiences don't go on to be like this (I'm so sorry for your experience), but a lot do serial killers have troubles childhoods.

Oh! Another thing I found interesting and is a whole other topic in itself: why women write to men in prison.

This case highlighted to me that it really is mostly women who do this. Why? Dahmer was gay and had no interest. Yet no gay men were shown writing to him. What is it about women that makes us more drawn to psychotic men?

Maybe something about the lizard brain and mating with the strongest males for some women. In the way a lioness will mate with a lion after it's killed its rivals, and even one of her own male cubs if he sees it as a thread.

Plus the danger/sexual aspect?

Certainly curious.

Threat*

I don't like the way these programmes portray serial killers as creepy and ominous with some kind of sinister "aura". I used to work with someone who interviewed several in prison and said the typical serial killer is an ordinary looking white middle aged male with no particular charisma or special intelligence and that interviewing them is more depressing than fascinating.

Same!

I adore Evan Peters, but in the other roles you know it’s all weird and just fantasy. In this you just feel repulsed by him. I guess it shows what an amazing actor he is.

I’ve heard that as well.

I used to work as a make up artist and had to do someone’s make up for a daytime Tv programme. All I knew about them before I met them was that they’d had a bit of a “difficult time” and were there to talk about it. I didn’t like to pry so did their make up, we chatted about all kinds of mundane stuff for about an hour or so. They seemed boring, dull, very non memorable really. Sort of person you’d bump into in the supermarket and forget about it two seconds later.

When I tuned into the tv programme the next day they’d killed 2 of their children in a very horrible way (not that there’s a good way if you see what I mean). My stomach went cold. I would never, ever have imagined that’s what they were there to talk about. It was a difficult story and they’d served their time etc and that’s why they were out and about being interviewed.

These people are odd but at the same time they’re just people. Not the scary looking monsters these series sometimes make them out to be. You couldn’t pick them out in a line up.

I'm on episode 2 or 3 can't remember but I really don't understand people who say they have nightmares from it or it's scary. It's really not scary! Evan Peters is a brilliant actor & it is a good series to know about what he did. I had no idea it was just black,gay men he killed. I just thought it was gay men.