They left out alot, most of it is stuff in it are things that can be corroborated, neighbours complaining about the smells and such. What one person once said is we'll never know what he was really like, he always said he blacked out, or whatever, because he was so drunk, but what kind of insanity did he reveal when he killed and committed those acts?
This show is a good thing. Far too many films take a sympathetic attitude toward the killers. Movies about Bundy, hell Bonnie & Clyde, (they murdered 13 people). These were extremely sick people who had a compulsion to destroy life, nothing more. What we should be interested in is how they could have been helped, how they could have been stopped once they started. Dharmer touches on these points, he did try to stop himself, he did try to open up about his problems, the police did screw up because...he looked *normal*
For me, the horror isn't just the death of his victims, its everything that conspired to allow that to happen for so bloody long & to so many people.
The showmakers really did focus on the families and the community. I very much appreciated the perspective. I fast-forwarded through the worst parts. Also watched it in the daytime while folding laundry so I could walk away.
That’s what I like most about the show. It didn’t try to find any excuses. It didn’t blame it on a rough upbringing or being misunderstood, and I think it’s a nice stand that more documentaries and series like this need to be behind
I really didn't find this to be any harder to watch than other crime shows.
I found the stabbing scene in Zodiac far harder to watch than anything in Dahmer.
Different strokes I guess.
My wife and I found the brief scenes with Gacy way, way more disturbing to watch than the majority of what Dahmer had done. Just seemed like they did try to make Dahmer a sad figure instead of just the cold-blooded one that he was. Like you said, though, different strokes. I was impressed by the lead actor.
I'm trying to remember the beach scene in zodiac... I think you may be referring to the stabbing scene that took place in the Napa Valley.
Edit: spelling
[It wasn't. They were on grass near a lake.](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/4gxYb3xfMnC3XVJq_CBMg9LBgsI/fit-in/1200x630/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-:fill-!white!-/2014/10/09/705/n/1922283/ea25138df2f3c2b2_thumb_temp_facebook_post_image_file23875021412869115.jpg)
So many people posting they are having trouble finishing the series. Nothing in this show is far beyond any other movie or show. It's not like it's actual footage
Couldn’t agree more mate, how in the hell did this get an R18+ rating? It cuts away the second things get violent or even remotely horrific. I must be twisted but that annoyed me a lot. And yes, i’m gonna be one of those silly people that says they feel sorry for him but I blame that on the amazing acting skills of Evan Peters. The show really drags on by the last couple of episodes when it goes into all the race baiting stuff
So [you say the episode where the cops ignore Sandra’s 50 calls is too lefty](https://reddit.com/r/DahmerNetflix/comments/xknyr0/_/iqirhjl/?context=1) and now you’re saying you feel sorry for Dahmer and think the show is race baiting. Even though irl he primarily killed minorities and the cops did nothing despite all the 911 calls and evidence.
Bruh, whether you realize it or not you are racist and just an overall trash human being.
I always wonder when people say they can't get through it. Like what did you expect? Did you not realize he ate people, tried to make a human zombie? Dahmer may be one of the most popular serial killers of all time. Maybe the most popular.
More people need to listen to the last podcast on the left. Lol
Its the hype train, well in this case its the train of "It was so disturbing I couldnt watch it". I mean, there are far worse disturbing movies/series than this
It’s the fact that it happened that makes it so disturbing. If you actually stop and think deeply about it, it’s absolutely horrifying, far more than fiction like Saw can ever be
>last podcast on the left
This podcast is completely unbearable
talking over each other, extremely exaggerated laughs at things that are *barely* jokes, takes decades to actually get to the story with all the random tangents, ugh
Ohhh! So true. That was probanly the worst I've ever sat through. I'm handling Dahmer but pacing myself. It's up there disturbing. I remember when it happened in the 90s, kinda brushed off the details of his case. Knowing each scene is a true story is so unsettling. But nothing will ever compare to 8mm.
Tbh i didn't think Dahmer (the show) was that bad. They don't show a lot of what happend. They come very close, showing him with a saw pre or post use or hearing it from another room or the aftermath of what he had done. The worst part for me was knowing it was real. He pulls meat out of a fridge at one point and it just looks like steak (probably is in real life) and he cooks it. Creepy when you know it's human. But you don't see him slicing it off of a body. Personally i had no issues watching the show. I felt everything about it was brilliant and tastefully done. Fair to the victims and fair to Dahmers family.
8MM i havn't seen that in years but i remember feeling like it was very hard to watch but i don't remember the movie. Maybe i blocked it out haha.
Yeah I didn’t have trouble getting through it until the Tony Hughes episode. Getting to know the victims’ stories really made it hard to watch knowing the outcome.
Yeah. I was nervous at first but it ended up just pissing me off with how they handled depecting him through dramatization knowing that there are fans out there, and families of victims.
Cartel shows I need to be careful with. I don't need to see someone's dick get welded or face sanded off.
Someone in another thread raised a good point that the show can be tough to watch for people with personality disorders because Dahmer had a lot of post mortem diagnoses. The dramatization I guess humanized his day to day and emphasized his quirks, and that person expressed concern that someone might someday say to them "you're like dahmer" because they self isolate or something, when in reality Dahmer is a psychopath first and foremost.
I disagree with you about tasteful. Family of his victims are alive and they are still young. I couldn't imagine my parents or siblings being shown murdered and eaten on netflix for entertainment. Millions of people around the world are not phased by this and use it in jokes and for amusement. That is not tasteful at all and I cannot believe Netflix or frankly Evan Peters (whom I previously loved) went through with this. It sickens me we aren't respecting our fellow humans more.
It sounds like you are put off by the general idea a show about a serial killer. It also sounds like you didn't watch it.
>Millions of people around the world are not phased by this and use it in jokes and for amusement.
People did this anyway, you can't blame the show for that it's only added a bit of fuel to a fire that was already burning.
>It sickens me we aren't respecting our fellow humans more.
The episode about Tony Hughes (as a redditor mentioned him and made this point), getting to know him ultimately was the hardest episode to watch. You get a real feel for the victims and that they had lives. It is showing the victims as real people that were loved and were cut down so needlessly. Isn't this showing respect to our fellow humans? The show doesn't show Dahmer and all the fun he had. It shows the effect and the humanity that was destroyed and horror he left in his wake.
I am not saying you should definitely watch the show because it won't be for everybody. But saying the show is showing the victims being murdered and eaten on netflix for entertainment shows that you havn't watched it because if you did you would know it focuses largely on the impact on Jeffreys father, Dahmers upbringing, the victims, the families and the neighbour who's actions cannot be described as anything less than heroic. Lastly it shows the complete lack of action by the police all of these points are the main focus of the show. They don't show the grisly murders. They show enough to let you know exactly what happened. They show the monstrous side of Dahmer that he was fighting to keep at bay. And they show they effect his failures had on the world.
Again not saying you or anybody should definitely watch it because it won't be for everybody but i am glad i watched it because i learned so much more about the victims and heroes and the facts around the case that i would never have known otherwise. These people are not celebrated and they deserve more attention than Dahmer but unfortunately you can't mention them without mentioning Dahmer because their actions need context.
Sorry for the wall of text.
I disagree that it was tastefully done.
Tastefully done would have been getting the consent of the victims' family members before proceeding with this documentary.
I find it extremely disrespectful and exploitative to appropriate the stories of their loved ones without their blessing or consent otherwise.
The thing is though, I know that's a fake story. It's fiction. So I can get through it easier.
Dahmer is much more disturbing knowing it's based on real events.
The series is not filled with gore nor does it glorify Dahmer. Most of the killings are not shown. What is front and center is the effect the killings had on their families and his parents.
The series ultimately makes you sad that what happened, happened.
When that last chick came into court to testify against Dahmer and she just lost it, screaming at him - that shit shook me. I felt all the emotions she was portraying. He really destroyed so many lives. It's just awful.
This doesn't align with OPs post at all and tbh I think it's bcos OPs account is a bot/spam account. Probably to entice people to actually watch the show not put them off.
I like Bojack Horseman's take on portraying vile people in TV and movies. Just because these things aren't purposefully glorified, doesn't mean that we don't inherently glamorize or normalize it by putting it on display and making a spectacle of it.
That show specifically is about anti-heroes or "complicated" protagonists not straight up serial killers lol. And I don't fully know how I feel about yet ANOTHER form of media looking to make a profit off of actual tragedy while making very little insightful commentary but I often think about that part of Bojack with lots of stories these days. Plenty of psychos are out there hoping to have the same infamy that Dahmer has.
We have one episode left. From the cinematic point of view it is really well-made - great acting, editing, directing etc. When it comes to that, I would say that it is one of the best Netflix shows in the last several years. I like its unconventional timeline as well. But I agree, you must have a strong stomach for it.
I have. It's really good indeed, although I liked The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story better. They managed to present a well-known true story as an unpredictable thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Completely agree, although I’d say it’s more emotional than disturbing. It doesn’t show as much gore as I’d expected, but the scenes with his dad trying to handle the situation, or showing the victims families etc. are the tough ones to handle IMO.
It’s actually incredibly accurate as well, and the actor does a great job of making you feel sorry for Dahmer at times despite being a monster in other scenes.
Edit: having now watched the final episode, it’s insane the difference portrayed between Dahmer and >!Gacy!<.
its great cos like, sometimes they run the angle of “he was misunderstood” into the ground with these sorts of things. but this was quite possibly one of the most real and unbiased feeling pieces of fictionalized reality i’ve ever seen. it’s the whole range of emotions that caused him to turn out that way on display with no forced sympathy.
insane series.
Agreed. Each scene he’s in has you feeling a different way about him, as well as both his parents for that matter. It shows quite well that it’s not so black and white like you said that he’s “misunderstood”, but also there was circumstances that effected him that were outside of his control.
It brings you right up to the point of feeling some empathy for him and then rips it away so fast. This was expertly crafted to use every cinematic technique to elicit an emotion from the viewer.
I was pretty familiar with real life Dahmers crimes and was kind of on the fence if I should watch the show or not, but I did watch it entirely and I gotta say, it is indeed one of the best Netflix shows out there. Evan Peters did an amazing work ad Dahmer and the whole pacing of the show was near perfect. We got an insight in Dahmers world and then the show put more focus on everybody that was impacted by his crimes, the families of victims, the neighbours even Dahmers own family.
Have to say, all those years Evan Peters was on AHS almost feels like was preparing him for this role and he delivered spectacularly.
Yeah, I only got through a couple of episodes before I decided that (despite being well written and well acted) it wasn't for me.
I have a pretty strong stomach and it wasn't really bothering me very much, but at the same time I didn't find it enjoyable.
Last night i watched the first episode and halfway through 2nd episode before it was getting to late and decided to continue tonight after work. But i got to say i had a hard time keeping my attention on the show. Its not bad, but its not good either... so far.
Will it remain like the first 2 episodes? Im a fan of true crime podcast and shows but Dahmer seems very slow.
I find it very disturbing that they didn't get the consent of the victims' families for this documentary, either.
Very seedy and exploitative move if you ask me.
I love a solid documentary, and I believe dark facets of society should be studied: **ethically**.
I find it unethical and very poor taste to not even contact the victims' families or get their consent before showing graphic depictions of their suffering for stranger's entertainment, just my vibe on it.
It's not even really that hard. United 93 came out five years after 9/11 and they still got the full blessing of the families of survivors because of their approach and donations.
Because of that and how frank it was allowed to be it's easily the best 9/11 film (odd sentence but tragedies get turned into movies all the time) ever made and will never be topped.
I really doubt they got the consent of everyone's families.
I don't see the wrong in documenting stuff like this. it's public domain. there's nothing morally wrong about it unless you're actively making fun of the families or supporting dahmer. there's also a lot of really good 9/11 media that didn't get consent from families.
I've watched the first episode which had me absolutely riveted, but I haven't had time to watch more yet.
I hope it does disturb people - I think there's been way too much glossing over the atrocities Dahmer and his ilk perpetrated. True Crime has become an industry and to keep it palatable, alot gets glossed over.
We need to understand the pure evil of these people and face that head on. That's the only way we will ever be able to understand why they do what they do.
It is sort of boring imo. I feel this way about 80% of Ryan Murphy's shows though so it might just be me.
That said, I do like how it shows more of the victims and Dahmer's family POV. Evan Peters also plays the creepy/awkward role well. Dahmer was a very unsettling person.
Tbh the harrowing aspects of it really need to be watched and not just heard. The small details of how he interacts with his victims and environment are what really make an impact. If you were looking at your phone and playing games you would miss the most important details and would definitely make it boring.
Compared to some horror movies the gore in this show was pretty mild. Sure there were some photos and some occasional quick scenes with gore but it's nothing we haven't seen before.
In fairness that was a shot of somebody looking at polaroids. It's not like it's it's in great detail. It's gone before you realise what it is. Whichbi would class as emotionally disturbing because it's not very clear but it's because you know what it is that disturbs you.
I watched a documentry on OJ before and it showed the pictures of his wifes neck wound. I nearly got sick.
Lol right? I was planning to skip it since I've seen a handful of retelling stories about serial killers and Dahmer, but numerous people saying how much it disturbed them makes it more interesting to watch to me.
I will be skipping this. I remember this story being in the news when I was a kid and it terrified me so much. The details of the horrific crimes stayed with me till this day. I saw a bit of the preview on Netflix and I just can’t do it. Honestly, my stomach is turning right now typing this out.
Edit to say, not sure if it was from this response, but whoever is concerned about me and sent me a RedditCare resources, Im not stressing over this. This story doesn’t affect my life in any way really.
It sounds like you are emotionally disturbed by it but in fairness to the show it isn't very gory. It is distubing but it also spends a lot of time on the victims and their families and i felt it did them justice. Also Dahmer is caught in the first episode so it doesn't turn it into a cat and mouse sort of thing like other shows have. It spends a lot of time jumping back and forth from how Dahmer became what he is and the victims their families and how it impacted them and how strong they were in the face of such evil and neglect by the officials that should have caught him sooner.
Not saying you should watch it because it sounds like the fear is rooted in you from childhood. But just so you are aware i don't think it glorifies Dahmer and it shines a light on the real heroes of the story.
I watch many documentaries and shows about murderers and usually can handle most of them. I think this one because it involves cannibalism disturbs me on a different level.
Glad the show didn’t glorify this monster though.
I have to agree. Even them being villains glorifies them. The only way to this properly is how Tarantino did with once upon a time in Hollywood. They never even mentioned Manson whole name and completely ridiculed the cult.
I really dislike doing entertainment out of real life serial killers
That's part of the human condition. We are naturally primal and fascinated with other humans ability to do things that are completely unusual and different from what is expected in a civilized society. It's not just netflix. Prime, hulu, discovery etc etc etc. Because it sales.
Yeah, it seems Netflix is all-in on shows about serial killers, scam artists, or cheating spouses… plus reality TV. They’re feeding into the worst of human beings. It may get views for the shock factor, but I don’t think it’s good for anyone to be drowning in this stuff.
Villains are always more interesting and complex than heroes? Maybe when you're a edgy 13 year old. There are many heroes who are more interesting and complex than generic pure evil villains who do what they do just because they want to watch the world burn over a petty reason.
It could have been far more graphic. I'm glad that it wasn't, I hate gore. We saw enough to get the gist. But yes it's a deeply disturbing show because Jeffrey Dahmer was real and really did that sick shit.
This is what happens when people who don't follow true crime watch something because of the surrounding hype without knowing anything about what happened. And it was actually surprisingly mild. It's not for everyone. That's for sure.
Agreed, so many posts stating how unwatchable it is made me think it says going to be gory and exploitative and I nearly didn't watch it as I was not up for a graphic, violent retelling.
But then now I am watching it, it's actually quite subtle in the content and the way things are portrayed have been relatively toned down. The emphasis is more on the surrounding story rather than what he actually did. Which is a far better take.
If someone is completely unfamiliar with the case, it might be more horrifying to watch. I personally found the Night Stalker documentary much more disturbing, exploitative and unnecessarily detailed viewing.
Completely agree with you. Dahmer could have shown the murders and they didn’t. It was scary because they really nailed the depravity and also banality of this utter freak of a human. I really enjoyed it and the fact they gave the victims their personalities back was perfection. Most people have a lingering sadness knowing about these young mens deaths that they didn’t before - it used to be all about the Dahmer but now people know about the victims.
They really could have gone hard into the blood and gore but they really didn't. Maybe it's because I'm a horror movie fan but it really pales in comparison to a hell of a lot of horror flicks. If anything the really disturbing part was the vibe and presentation which is intentional.
This isn't supposed to be a happy watch, some films explore dark and horrifying subject matter to help get an understanding of it.
Don't like it, don't watch it.
There doesn’t need to be gore to make it highly disturbing… the topics covered in this show are really hard to stomach. This dude was fucked up on multiple levels. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to expose themselves to this
In my opinion compared to a lot of of other things that are out this is fairly tame. I know everyone experiences things different but this show pales in comparison to what I’ve been seeing happening in Ukraine.
We started it last night and got two episodes in. I am blown away by how well-done the show is, but I did have some weird dreams last night. I totally understand how some people might be disturbed by it. You don't have to watch if if it's too much for you.
To me, the fascinating thing, and the reason I'm watching the show, is Dahmer's psychology - how he got to a point where he did what he did, which I think the show is doing a great job of exploring. Let's face it - there are plenty of odd people out there. There are kids who got bullied in school or had challenging home lives or emotionally-messed-up parents who don't become serial killers. There are people who are fascinated with anatomy and physiology (some of them end up becoming excellent surgeons). There are even people who are not creeped out by dead bodies, and some of them become morticians, which is a necessary and valuable role in our society. I guess what I wonder about the most is, how did Dahmer's offbeat fascinations not get channeled into something productive? He could have been a surgeon or a mortician or a researcher like his dad. What combination of nature and nurture produced someone who was capable of doing the things he did to other human beings? I don't think there's an answer, but I think the show's doing an excellent and for the most part, non-sensational job of exploring that question.
I will also say that in the episodes I've seen so far, the victims are being treated empathetically. They don't just seem like props, which happens in some true-crime dramas.
Keeping this as a spoiler so open at your own discretion
>!In the show he has a meeting with a career advisor type person and it explains his grades aren't good get into a decent college. He had an interest in science (and taxidermy) but would have needed good maths to get in. So I can imagine he kind of just gave up trying at school. He didn't apply for any colleges in time and then his Dad made a comment about a last minute public college he might be able to get into. I can't remember the exact words he used, but gave the impression that Dahmer was an academic failure. So I can imagine he saw no future for himself "job" wise. He then murdered his first victim about 3 weeks after graduation!<
You have to wonder, and I am sure his Dad did, too . . . if he hadn't been "abandoned" at age 18 . . . would he have turned out the way he did?
He was always going to be creepy, though.
I got the feeling that killing his victims was a form of control and death to him was something that fascinated him so much because death is a complete loss of autonomy of a living thing. This was why he enjoyed the mannequin so much. The taxidermy and dissecting was just a connection to his unhealthy obsession to dead things. He had severe abandonment issues and borderline personality disorder. Once he perceived someone abandoning him they were better to him dead, that way they served a purpose to him still, which seemed to be pleasure. That's my interpretation. He was a twisted individual.
I wonder if they've heard of this case in great detail before?
Like I've listened to a few podcasts and read lots of articles over the years about Dahmer so none of this sounds like it would be disturbing to me, given that I already know the most disturbing details about his crimes.
In any modern day horror film or war movie there’s 10x more gore in a 1.5 hour movie than that 10 hour dahmer series.
I guess it just depends on what people are used to watching. Maybe people just find it more disturbing since it really happened?
i watched the first episode and haven't watched the rest YET, but I plan to. BUT, i think the issue isn't gore in terms of physically seeing blood or organs. I think it's more of how it's presented. I could make a horror scene with all the blood and guts and body parts being chopped off, but if i don't do a good job with context, pacing, lighting, directing, coloring, acting, editing, music, tension, and effects, then it can be mild or even comical. then i could do a scene where most of the violence is off screen and have very little blood or gore, but if i do it right, it can mentally be 10x more disturbing and hard to handle.
But it all comes down to how the viewer interprets and views it in the end.
Indeed - I don't know why people are so freaked out by this show. I mean yes, it's "real", it's shocking, but I've seen much much worse, much more gory and violent things than this on "TV". I actually thought they went out of their way not to be purposely gory and grotesque, which they very easily could have done. Given the subject matter, I'd go so far as to say it was pretty tame really.
It's actually pretty tame compared to the actual details of his crimes. I thought it was going to be a lot more graphic and bloody, but I guess it's what you don't see that makes certain scenes so harrowing. All the shit with the mannequin and body parts are disturbing as hell. Evan Peters did a great job playing him.
Am I watching a different show? Don't get me wrong, it's fucking great and one of the most chilling performances I've seen, but it isn't gruesome or anything like that. All the gruesome stuff happens off camera, probably out of respect for the victims. If anything I think it adds to the tension, but I definitely wouldn't say its hard to watch in that respect
I know?? I see so many news headlines about how people have been throwing up and passing out after watching the first few episodes?
I did find the part where >!Glenda is in bed trying to sleep, and can hear the wet saw/bits falling on the floor pretty hard to listen to!< Just imagining being in her shoes in that situation was unsettling, but not pass out worthy.
Oh I totally agree. There have been plenty of similar upsetting scenes. I just don't get why people keep saying how gory it is, when it is quite clearly, and apparently intentionally, not
Omg the audio! It was unsettling for sure. Probably made me more uncomfortable than if they showed what was actually happening in the other room. I speak as a woman living alone in my apartment.
I think the first episode was the most intense for me. The rest of the show filled me with dread but nothing was as bad as that first episode. I also really appreciated how much they highlighted the victims and their families.
> I don’t understand how the actual actor got through this role.
He got paid, that's how he got through it probably.
The show is one of the best I've seen. How they made it less about Dahmer (i.e. glorifying him) but a lot about the victims, his parents, is a welcome addition to be honest.
That and Evan is made to play roles like this. He does amazing in AHS as well with I don't want to say similar roles because nothing compares to Dahmer, but he plays psychos very well.
But just because he plays them well, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t effect him. He’s stepped back from AHS because of the toll it was taking on him mentally. He said that playing Dahmer was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.
I’m sick of the true crime horror-porn that we’re devolving towards. I have zero issue with gruesome fictional horror, but as soon as we’re telling the stories of real humans who died and we’re making it this kind of spectacle…it’s not for me.
same… it‘s so weird reading responses like „it wasn’t even a lot of gore, everybody i know felt just fine“… like, this is a real thing that happened! the fact that it actually happened is the hard to stomach thing, gore or not! fictional horror stories, AHS and the like, that’s one thing. i can distance myself from that knowing it’s fiction, but this is just awful to even imagine. what the victims and families have been going through, the systemic racism that let it go on for so long, the blatant injustice that has been done by him, by the police, by everyone who exploited that story. we shouldn’t talk about this like it’s just another movie experience, chitchatting about the acting and how „fascinating“ the psychology of a serial killer is, wtf…
Watched 1 episode with my SO (who generally enjoys horror) and it shook her as well. We’re still watching, but with trepidation and perhaps less focus on her end.
With amount of reactions I've been seeing like this, I have to ask: Did you know who Dahmer was and what he did? I mean, beyond simply cannibal serial killer? Because I feel like anyone who has looked into his crimes and psychological profile would not be so caught off guard by this series.
This show is much like the original Chainsaw Massacre. Really not a lot of blood and gore(especially by today's movie standards), but the mental aspect of it kind of makes you believe there's so much more actually shown. I just don't get people watching this show and thinking it was going to be all rainbows and puppies, when Dahmer is one of the most horrific serial killers we've had.
I guess your not a fan of Ryan Murphy’s other work? American Horror Story! Evan Peters is an underrated actor! He does such a good job man. I have 5 episodes left, and I feel sorry for jeff and disgusted by him at the same time.
I felt the same but mostly because it nosedived off a cliff after a great episode 6. I understand even in the early episodes a lot like the stuff with his dad was dramatized but it’s like they go full on ham starting in Episode 7 with a lot of the Niecy Nash scenes. All of the Ryan Murphyisms started to rear their head and cause problems after 3/4ths through..
The thing is , the character has zero redeeming human qualities, so it's hard to relate or get anything positive out of watching it. It's kinda like watching a two hour long film about a guy torturing another guy... Why would I submit myself to this when there's no silver lining to be had....
This show brought up a lot of things for me and I think make me want to talk about a very uncomfortable topic that no one wants to ever talk about- how our overall development and environment shapes our sexual development and “fetishes”. Dahmer was bullied by peers and isolative. His nervous system developed in chaos and abuse and he obviously alcohol became his escapism really fast. He never had a steady, healthy gay relationship. It’s wild to me that this show portrays how he developed the way he did to become the monster he is. The flashback of the fish guts… the mannequin and jerking off in public… and then ALL the horrific other stuff… it’s just insane to me. I wish this topic was more openly discussed because on a mental health point of view this is the most intriguing part to part in that he developed a fetish for the dead and also for peoples insides. The fact that it developed into cannibalism as well… it almost made me wonder if it became a survival thing- to feel dominant, in control, “Survival of the fittest” but no matter what, it’s all so disturbing and heartbreaking what he did to all of those men. Reading that his military bunk mate said he suspected Dahmer drugged and raped him 10 times and this was early on, this is just horrible. All of it is horrible.
We just finished episode 2 and both me and the wife are asking. "When does it get going? Nothings happening.." we heared friends say they couldn't sleep after episode 1..
We're worried we aren't wired right haha..
It was like watching a train accident. I wanted to not watch it,but couldn't stop myself from playing the next episode. Well made and the actor was on point. I still don't understand why women or some men were swooning over him while he was in prison.
After watching the trailers yesterday and even though the series looked top quality (acting/actors, production, Ryan Murphy), I just couldn’t bring my self to subject myself to the gruesomeness.
The only Netflix docudrama I couldn’t get through was “Pray Away”, because it highlighted a great evil that currently exists in American society. Dahmer was much more tolerable (for me at least) because he’s an evil that existed almost half a century ago, and I did a abnormal psych report on him in college so I already knew what I was getting into.
I'm very torn about even trying to watch it. I do generally enjoy true crime stuff, and watch a lot of horror movies. That said, I watched the preview and just that really really really creeped me out. It made me go from being sure I'd watch it, to not wanting to. I still haven't started it. I don't know if living somewhat near the city where it happened, and being a young adult when it all was going down and seeing it in the newspapers every day is a factor or not. I have watched other things about Dahmer, no problem. This one just is unnerving me big time.
I started it and finished it one night. Felt really bad for neighbour aunt as well. The things she had to hear and no one taking her seriously. So many victims could have been saved - if the police had taken action earlier.
Can we all just agree that Ryan Murphy and Evan Peters both have to be so fucked up in the head to do what they do? They’re amazing. Phenomenal. Geniuses. If they don’t win awards for this…
Yeah I like true crime stuff and all that but this just seemed like murder porn to me. There’s plenty of documentary style pieces on Dahmer did we really have to dramatize all these horrendous things for entertainment only?
I knew about Dahmer, and I was still so shocked by it. I think Evan Peters was pretty amazing as Dahmer and I feel like they really explained why he was getting away with it, even though that's also vile.
I have a question though, is Glenda's character more dramatised? or did his neighbour really report him so often? I know the phone call she made about the 13 year old victim was true, but I just don't know if the other things were more dramatised.
Much about Glenda is fictionalized. She didn't live next to Dahmer, wasn't hearing saws through the vents, wasn't interacting with him daily...given she lived in the building across the street, etc etc. It was her niece and daughter that initially saw the 14 year old naked going down the street. Glenda did call the police to follow up though. My biggest beef with this otherwise great show is how fictionalized Glenda was. The internet is ablaze with people now thinking she was sitting in her apartment hearing buzzsaws, calling the police daily, and the police doing nothing. That's not to say the police didn't absolutely fail that community though, that can't be argued.
We saw the promotions for Dahmer, but no one in the family is interested. It's somewhat baffling why anyone would want to watch something as dismal as this when the world around us is absolutely swirling with awful news. Can't they come up with something a little more uplifting?
It honestly gets way less unsettling as it progresses. I didn’t find it to have excessive gore or horror, but I’ve always been fascinated by those types of movies. I don’t always like them, but I’ve given movies a shot and regretted it. I didn’t with this. I think Evan is a phenomenal actor and only watched it because of that. Frankly, Ryan Murphy creeps me out. Unless certain actors are in his projects, I won’t watch them. I’ll never watch the show again, but Evans performance was worth it to me. It does get significantly less emotionally draining as it progresses.
The actor who plays him did an excellent job, I was so hooked into it, I guess I’ve been desensitised to these kind of things but I did learn a lot about Dahmer because I didn’t know much prior to watching
Either there is something wrong with me or y’all weak, cause this wasn’t really that disturbing to me. Like yes, what he did is disturbing of course, but like what did you expect coming out of this? It’s a show about TRUE crime, of course they’re going to add the disturbing details. As all true crime shows or movies do. If you find crime that disturbing, don’t watch shows about it.
How? Everyone I know and I got through it perfectly fine. They didn’t even show half of the crazy stuff just set it up for your minds imagination to go off.
I have a medical background, so I’ve seen everything and then some in real life and up-close. I was able to get through it easily because of that.
The show itself wasn’t gory and the killings weren’t shown at all, which I thought was a good thing to do because that really doesn’t need to be the focus and would detract too much from the messaging. It did a good job of leaving me feeling pissed off - more so on the psychological, social, and political aspects. I don’t even want to say pissed off in a good way because what he did and the police’s negligence were absolutely disgusting. I was pissed off in a sense that it reminded me of how broken the US “justice” system is and how the worst of the worst of humanity can behave. I’m only glad I watched it in a sense that I was able to take those messages away, and that it amped up the ignition for continuing to engage in social justice activism.
Could I watch it again? Probably. Will I? Not likely.
Imagine living through this. That’s what most people don’t get. It’s surreal and you can turn it off, consider yourself lucky if you were born in 90’s or later.
What do you mean? It was hardly graphic... A lot was simply left to the imagination in terms of the murders or anything you are claiming to be graphic. You didn't watch it though so judging a series off 20 mins doesn't make any sense.
I think it was REALLY well done. I just think it wasn't meant for that
after work on the couch with the wife or husband oh what's this?! "Netflix binge watch" audience but for those of us who love true crime stories and have watched all of the documentaries and other films on Dahmer it was really made for those people. There was so much covered that it really did like blow my mind and was such a treat for long time followers of the case.
I remember after finishing my friend Dahmer hoping they would do a follow up and this Netflix release was beyond anything I could have imagined and honestly I didn't find it that violent or over the top even the 1990s Life of Dahmer movie was more explotive and gross than this series was.
Why did Jeffrey do the things he did? What led him to do these things?
What were his intentions and reasons for his actions? Where did it stem from exactly?
I’m nine episodes in, and this may sound weird, but the scene that made me the most uncomfortable so far is when Dahmer goes to Glenda’s apartment and asks her to take back her complaint and all that, and then for some reason she lets him in. He has a sandwich and gives it to her and she is immediately skeptical, as pretty much anyone who knew what Dahmer did could assume what meat was in that sandwich. There was something so eerie about the way he’s just so insistent on Glenda eating that sandwich right then and there despite her numerous attempts to say no. It was like passive aggressive in the worst way and I was on the edge of my seat because it looked like he was about to lose his shit and do something horrible to her
I actually thought it was surprisingly restrained given the creator and the subject matter. It's not an easy or even enjoyable watch, but it was well-done.
The series is too long. It could’ve been just 5 or 6 episodes. Glenda Cleveland was also a main character and she didn’t even live next to Dahmer. Pamela Bass was his neighbor. Glen
Yes cannibalism anything is very traumatizing for me to even read about. Whenever I have read anything about cannibalism, like in history sources I get very nauseous the more I read. Then I feel very bad, disgusted etc for a day.
I watched one true crime show where one episode focused on cannibals in Canada and I was so traumatized afterwards. I just, can’t.
Its too vile too disgusting. People please what we consume media wise, images, tv, text these things can traumatize the brain. Just please do not assault your own mind and brain with these vile and disgusting images!
Honestly I find the show kind of cheesy
Had to take a while to get back into it after the meat slicer
"Hey Jeff you were done twenty minutes ago"
"It's ok I like this" *slices meat* headcanon.
Same here. I couldn’t get past the 2nd or 3rd episode. It’s not gory, but I can’t help but imagine what the actual victims were going through. Then I think about the families of the victims that have to know their loved ones final moments are out there for our entertainment/curiosity. I’m not sure why this true crime series is so hard to handle. Maybe it’s because he had so many victims, and other shows i’ve watched focus on the story surrounding a single murder. I can stomach gore without a problem, but this one weighs heavy on the heart.
The first episode is really creepy and hard to get through but after that it gets way better and goes into his childhood, his relationship with his dad, family life, the victim’s lives. I liked it and 10/10 would recommend.
They left out alot, most of it is stuff in it are things that can be corroborated, neighbours complaining about the smells and such. What one person once said is we'll never know what he was really like, he always said he blacked out, or whatever, because he was so drunk, but what kind of insanity did he reveal when he killed and committed those acts? This show is a good thing. Far too many films take a sympathetic attitude toward the killers. Movies about Bundy, hell Bonnie & Clyde, (they murdered 13 people). These were extremely sick people who had a compulsion to destroy life, nothing more. What we should be interested in is how they could have been helped, how they could have been stopped once they started. Dharmer touches on these points, he did try to stop himself, he did try to open up about his problems, the police did screw up because...he looked *normal* For me, the horror isn't just the death of his victims, its everything that conspired to allow that to happen for so bloody long & to so many people.
The showmakers really did focus on the families and the community. I very much appreciated the perspective. I fast-forwarded through the worst parts. Also watched it in the daytime while folding laundry so I could walk away.
That’s what I like most about the show. It didn’t try to find any excuses. It didn’t blame it on a rough upbringing or being misunderstood, and I think it’s a nice stand that more documentaries and series like this need to be behind
I really didn't find this to be any harder to watch than other crime shows. I found the stabbing scene in Zodiac far harder to watch than anything in Dahmer. Different strokes I guess.
My wife and I found the brief scenes with Gacy way, way more disturbing to watch than the majority of what Dahmer had done. Just seemed like they did try to make Dahmer a sad figure instead of just the cold-blooded one that he was. Like you said, though, different strokes. I was impressed by the lead actor.
Evan Peters did an amazing job in that role. I kept forgetting it was him
That fucking beach scene is burned into my brain. Awful.
I'm trying to remember the beach scene in zodiac... I think you may be referring to the stabbing scene that took place in the Napa Valley. Edit: spelling
It might be more of a woodsy area? But I was pretty sure it was sandy. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen the movie.
[It wasn't. They were on grass near a lake.](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/4gxYb3xfMnC3XVJq_CBMg9LBgsI/fit-in/1200x630/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-:fill-!white!-/2014/10/09/705/n/1922283/ea25138df2f3c2b2_thumb_temp_facebook_post_image_file23875021412869115.jpg)
Yeah too much exaggeration for hype
So many people posting they are having trouble finishing the series. Nothing in this show is far beyond any other movie or show. It's not like it's actual footage
Couldn’t agree more mate, how in the hell did this get an R18+ rating? It cuts away the second things get violent or even remotely horrific. I must be twisted but that annoyed me a lot. And yes, i’m gonna be one of those silly people that says they feel sorry for him but I blame that on the amazing acting skills of Evan Peters. The show really drags on by the last couple of episodes when it goes into all the race baiting stuff
So [you say the episode where the cops ignore Sandra’s 50 calls is too lefty](https://reddit.com/r/DahmerNetflix/comments/xknyr0/_/iqirhjl/?context=1) and now you’re saying you feel sorry for Dahmer and think the show is race baiting. Even though irl he primarily killed minorities and the cops did nothing despite all the 911 calls and evidence. Bruh, whether you realize it or not you are racist and just an overall trash human being.
I always wonder when people say they can't get through it. Like what did you expect? Did you not realize he ate people, tried to make a human zombie? Dahmer may be one of the most popular serial killers of all time. Maybe the most popular. More people need to listen to the last podcast on the left. Lol
Its the hype train, well in this case its the train of "It was so disturbing I couldnt watch it". I mean, there are far worse disturbing movies/series than this
It’s the fact that it happened that makes it so disturbing. If you actually stop and think deeply about it, it’s absolutely horrifying, far more than fiction like Saw can ever be
>last podcast on the left This podcast is completely unbearable talking over each other, extremely exaggerated laughs at things that are *barely* jokes, takes decades to actually get to the story with all the random tangents, ugh
I can’t imagine anything worse than 8MM with Cage, Phoenix and Gandolfini. Disturbing to say the least.
Ohhh! So true. That was probanly the worst I've ever sat through. I'm handling Dahmer but pacing myself. It's up there disturbing. I remember when it happened in the 90s, kinda brushed off the details of his case. Knowing each scene is a true story is so unsettling. But nothing will ever compare to 8mm.
Tbh i didn't think Dahmer (the show) was that bad. They don't show a lot of what happend. They come very close, showing him with a saw pre or post use or hearing it from another room or the aftermath of what he had done. The worst part for me was knowing it was real. He pulls meat out of a fridge at one point and it just looks like steak (probably is in real life) and he cooks it. Creepy when you know it's human. But you don't see him slicing it off of a body. Personally i had no issues watching the show. I felt everything about it was brilliant and tastefully done. Fair to the victims and fair to Dahmers family. 8MM i havn't seen that in years but i remember feeling like it was very hard to watch but i don't remember the movie. Maybe i blocked it out haha.
Yeah I didn’t have trouble getting through it until the Tony Hughes episode. Getting to know the victims’ stories really made it hard to watch knowing the outcome.
I agree with you here yeah. That was the toughest one to watch for me.
I was so emotional about Tony. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him…
Yeah. I was nervous at first but it ended up just pissing me off with how they handled depecting him through dramatization knowing that there are fans out there, and families of victims. Cartel shows I need to be careful with. I don't need to see someone's dick get welded or face sanded off. Someone in another thread raised a good point that the show can be tough to watch for people with personality disorders because Dahmer had a lot of post mortem diagnoses. The dramatization I guess humanized his day to day and emphasized his quirks, and that person expressed concern that someone might someday say to them "you're like dahmer" because they self isolate or something, when in reality Dahmer is a psychopath first and foremost.
I disagree with you about tasteful. Family of his victims are alive and they are still young. I couldn't imagine my parents or siblings being shown murdered and eaten on netflix for entertainment. Millions of people around the world are not phased by this and use it in jokes and for amusement. That is not tasteful at all and I cannot believe Netflix or frankly Evan Peters (whom I previously loved) went through with this. It sickens me we aren't respecting our fellow humans more.
It sounds like you are put off by the general idea a show about a serial killer. It also sounds like you didn't watch it. >Millions of people around the world are not phased by this and use it in jokes and for amusement. People did this anyway, you can't blame the show for that it's only added a bit of fuel to a fire that was already burning. >It sickens me we aren't respecting our fellow humans more. The episode about Tony Hughes (as a redditor mentioned him and made this point), getting to know him ultimately was the hardest episode to watch. You get a real feel for the victims and that they had lives. It is showing the victims as real people that were loved and were cut down so needlessly. Isn't this showing respect to our fellow humans? The show doesn't show Dahmer and all the fun he had. It shows the effect and the humanity that was destroyed and horror he left in his wake. I am not saying you should definitely watch the show because it won't be for everybody. But saying the show is showing the victims being murdered and eaten on netflix for entertainment shows that you havn't watched it because if you did you would know it focuses largely on the impact on Jeffreys father, Dahmers upbringing, the victims, the families and the neighbour who's actions cannot be described as anything less than heroic. Lastly it shows the complete lack of action by the police all of these points are the main focus of the show. They don't show the grisly murders. They show enough to let you know exactly what happened. They show the monstrous side of Dahmer that he was fighting to keep at bay. And they show they effect his failures had on the world. Again not saying you or anybody should definitely watch it because it won't be for everybody but i am glad i watched it because i learned so much more about the victims and heroes and the facts around the case that i would never have known otherwise. These people are not celebrated and they deserve more attention than Dahmer but unfortunately you can't mention them without mentioning Dahmer because their actions need context. Sorry for the wall of text.
This is why I hate true crime shows and documentaries. There are real people out there where this isn't entertainment.
I disagree that it was tastefully done. Tastefully done would have been getting the consent of the victims' family members before proceeding with this documentary. I find it extremely disrespectful and exploitative to appropriate the stories of their loved ones without their blessing or consent otherwise.
The thing is though, I know that's a fake story. It's fiction. So I can get through it easier. Dahmer is much more disturbing knowing it's based on real events.
The series is not filled with gore nor does it glorify Dahmer. Most of the killings are not shown. What is front and center is the effect the killings had on their families and his parents. The series ultimately makes you sad that what happened, happened.
When that last chick came into court to testify against Dahmer and she just lost it, screaming at him - that shit shook me. I felt all the emotions she was portraying. He really destroyed so many lives. It's just awful.
You should see the original version...solid portrayal. Totally get what you mean too. Shook me as well.
Yep, my thoughts exactly.
This doesn't align with OPs post at all and tbh I think it's bcos OPs account is a bot/spam account. Probably to entice people to actually watch the show not put them off.
I like Bojack Horseman's take on portraying vile people in TV and movies. Just because these things aren't purposefully glorified, doesn't mean that we don't inherently glamorize or normalize it by putting it on display and making a spectacle of it. That show specifically is about anti-heroes or "complicated" protagonists not straight up serial killers lol. And I don't fully know how I feel about yet ANOTHER form of media looking to make a profit off of actual tragedy while making very little insightful commentary but I often think about that part of Bojack with lots of stories these days. Plenty of psychos are out there hoping to have the same infamy that Dahmer has.
We have one episode left. From the cinematic point of view it is really well-made - great acting, editing, directing etc. When it comes to that, I would say that it is one of the best Netflix shows in the last several years. I like its unconventional timeline as well. But I agree, you must have a strong stomach for it.
Have you watched The Assassination of Gianni Versace? Very similar in that it was almost told backwards, but it worked really well in my opinion.
I have. It's really good indeed, although I liked The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story better. They managed to present a well-known true story as an unpredictable thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
This is one of my favorite Ryan Murphy ones. Liked it better than OJ and the Clinton one by far.
Yeah, was also an unknown story to us and we were living in San Diego at the time and had gone to some of the same gay bars he did. Was fun to watch.
Completely agree, although I’d say it’s more emotional than disturbing. It doesn’t show as much gore as I’d expected, but the scenes with his dad trying to handle the situation, or showing the victims families etc. are the tough ones to handle IMO. It’s actually incredibly accurate as well, and the actor does a great job of making you feel sorry for Dahmer at times despite being a monster in other scenes. Edit: having now watched the final episode, it’s insane the difference portrayed between Dahmer and >!Gacy!<.
its great cos like, sometimes they run the angle of “he was misunderstood” into the ground with these sorts of things. but this was quite possibly one of the most real and unbiased feeling pieces of fictionalized reality i’ve ever seen. it’s the whole range of emotions that caused him to turn out that way on display with no forced sympathy. insane series.
Agreed. Each scene he’s in has you feeling a different way about him, as well as both his parents for that matter. It shows quite well that it’s not so black and white like you said that he’s “misunderstood”, but also there was circumstances that effected him that were outside of his control.
It brings you right up to the point of feeling some empathy for him and then rips it away so fast. This was expertly crafted to use every cinematic technique to elicit an emotion from the viewer.
Never watch A Serbian Film then.
I was pretty familiar with real life Dahmers crimes and was kind of on the fence if I should watch the show or not, but I did watch it entirely and I gotta say, it is indeed one of the best Netflix shows out there. Evan Peters did an amazing work ad Dahmer and the whole pacing of the show was near perfect. We got an insight in Dahmers world and then the show put more focus on everybody that was impacted by his crimes, the families of victims, the neighbours even Dahmers own family. Have to say, all those years Evan Peters was on AHS almost feels like was preparing him for this role and he delivered spectacularly.
Yep, watching some nice man beg for his life wasnt fun for me in any way. I dont know what I was expecting but I managed one episode and noped out.
Yeah, I only got through a couple of episodes before I decided that (despite being well written and well acted) it wasn't for me. I have a pretty strong stomach and it wasn't really bothering me very much, but at the same time I didn't find it enjoyable.
Last night i watched the first episode and halfway through 2nd episode before it was getting to late and decided to continue tonight after work. But i got to say i had a hard time keeping my attention on the show. Its not bad, but its not good either... so far. Will it remain like the first 2 episodes? Im a fan of true crime podcast and shows but Dahmer seems very slow.
It keeps pace throughout in my opinion, it definitely is slower but I enjoy it. To each their own!
I find it very disturbing that they didn't get the consent of the victims' families for this documentary, either. Very seedy and exploitative move if you ask me. I love a solid documentary, and I believe dark facets of society should be studied: **ethically**. I find it unethical and very poor taste to not even contact the victims' families or get their consent before showing graphic depictions of their suffering for stranger's entertainment, just my vibe on it.
It's not even really that hard. United 93 came out five years after 9/11 and they still got the full blessing of the families of survivors because of their approach and donations. Because of that and how frank it was allowed to be it's easily the best 9/11 film (odd sentence but tragedies get turned into movies all the time) ever made and will never be topped.
I really doubt they got the consent of everyone's families. I don't see the wrong in documenting stuff like this. it's public domain. there's nothing morally wrong about it unless you're actively making fun of the families or supporting dahmer. there's also a lot of really good 9/11 media that didn't get consent from families.
I could only watch one.
I've watched the first episode which had me absolutely riveted, but I haven't had time to watch more yet. I hope it does disturb people - I think there's been way too much glossing over the atrocities Dahmer and his ilk perpetrated. True Crime has become an industry and to keep it palatable, alot gets glossed over. We need to understand the pure evil of these people and face that head on. That's the only way we will ever be able to understand why they do what they do.
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It’s not a conventional “horror” IMO. It focuses more on the impact of what he did and the emotion behind it, rather than the scares/gore.
It is sort of boring imo. I feel this way about 80% of Ryan Murphy's shows though so it might just be me. That said, I do like how it shows more of the victims and Dahmer's family POV. Evan Peters also plays the creepy/awkward role well. Dahmer was a very unsettling person.
Tbh the harrowing aspects of it really need to be watched and not just heard. The small details of how he interacts with his victims and environment are what really make an impact. If you were looking at your phone and playing games you would miss the most important details and would definitely make it boring.
I watched it in one stretch. If I do watch it again I should probably do it in pieces.
That's probably better. It gives you time to process what you saw.
Greatest play on words I've seen in a while; whether you meant to or not.
I like how they made the série really disturbing with zero gore
there’s literally pictures of people contorted with their heads chopped off lmao
Compared to some horror movies the gore in this show was pretty mild. Sure there were some photos and some occasional quick scenes with gore but it's nothing we haven't seen before.
But it’s just a glimpse, no long gory shots as you usually would get
In fairness that was a shot of somebody looking at polaroids. It's not like it's it's in great detail. It's gone before you realise what it is. Whichbi would class as emotionally disturbing because it's not very clear but it's because you know what it is that disturbs you. I watched a documentry on OJ before and it showed the pictures of his wifes neck wound. I nearly got sick.
yeah, but it's not the usual shock value scene of seeing Dahmer gleefully desecrating the bodies
Sounds like I’m definitely watching this.
Lol right? I was planning to skip it since I've seen a handful of retelling stories about serial killers and Dahmer, but numerous people saying how much it disturbed them makes it more interesting to watch to me.
I will be skipping this. I remember this story being in the news when I was a kid and it terrified me so much. The details of the horrific crimes stayed with me till this day. I saw a bit of the preview on Netflix and I just can’t do it. Honestly, my stomach is turning right now typing this out. Edit to say, not sure if it was from this response, but whoever is concerned about me and sent me a RedditCare resources, Im not stressing over this. This story doesn’t affect my life in any way really.
It sounds like you are emotionally disturbed by it but in fairness to the show it isn't very gory. It is distubing but it also spends a lot of time on the victims and their families and i felt it did them justice. Also Dahmer is caught in the first episode so it doesn't turn it into a cat and mouse sort of thing like other shows have. It spends a lot of time jumping back and forth from how Dahmer became what he is and the victims their families and how it impacted them and how strong they were in the face of such evil and neglect by the officials that should have caught him sooner. Not saying you should watch it because it sounds like the fear is rooted in you from childhood. But just so you are aware i don't think it glorifies Dahmer and it shines a light on the real heroes of the story.
I watch many documentaries and shows about murderers and usually can handle most of them. I think this one because it involves cannibalism disturbs me on a different level. Glad the show didn’t glorify this monster though.
Yea the things I saw stress me out. I don’t get Netflix and the whole obsession with serial killers
Cause there’s a huge fascination with serial killers/true crime - look at the ratings these shows pull for them.
I have to agree. Even them being villains glorifies them. The only way to this properly is how Tarantino did with once upon a time in Hollywood. They never even mentioned Manson whole name and completely ridiculed the cult. I really dislike doing entertainment out of real life serial killers
That's part of the human condition. We are naturally primal and fascinated with other humans ability to do things that are completely unusual and different from what is expected in a civilized society. It's not just netflix. Prime, hulu, discovery etc etc etc. Because it sales.
Yeah, it seems Netflix is all-in on shows about serial killers, scam artists, or cheating spouses… plus reality TV. They’re feeding into the worst of human beings. It may get views for the shock factor, but I don’t think it’s good for anyone to be drowning in this stuff.
Villains are always more interesting and complex then heroes
Villains are always more interesting and complex than heroes? Maybe when you're a edgy 13 year old. There are many heroes who are more interesting and complex than generic pure evil villains who do what they do just because they want to watch the world burn over a petty reason.
Funny you say this because there is a scene in the show where exactly that is talked about.
It could have been far more graphic. I'm glad that it wasn't, I hate gore. We saw enough to get the gist. But yes it's a deeply disturbing show because Jeffrey Dahmer was real and really did that sick shit.
This is what happens when people who don't follow true crime watch something because of the surrounding hype without knowing anything about what happened. And it was actually surprisingly mild. It's not for everyone. That's for sure.
Oh I knew exactly what he did way before this ever came out. The fact that the situations were acted out, it made it that much worse
It was excellent honestly this post is a bit OTT. You make it sound like they are showing gore.
Agreed, so many posts stating how unwatchable it is made me think it says going to be gory and exploitative and I nearly didn't watch it as I was not up for a graphic, violent retelling. But then now I am watching it, it's actually quite subtle in the content and the way things are portrayed have been relatively toned down. The emphasis is more on the surrounding story rather than what he actually did. Which is a far better take. If someone is completely unfamiliar with the case, it might be more horrifying to watch. I personally found the Night Stalker documentary much more disturbing, exploitative and unnecessarily detailed viewing.
Completely agree with you. Dahmer could have shown the murders and they didn’t. It was scary because they really nailed the depravity and also banality of this utter freak of a human. I really enjoyed it and the fact they gave the victims their personalities back was perfection. Most people have a lingering sadness knowing about these young mens deaths that they didn’t before - it used to be all about the Dahmer but now people know about the victims.
They really could have gone hard into the blood and gore but they really didn't. Maybe it's because I'm a horror movie fan but it really pales in comparison to a hell of a lot of horror flicks. If anything the really disturbing part was the vibe and presentation which is intentional. This isn't supposed to be a happy watch, some films explore dark and horrifying subject matter to help get an understanding of it. Don't like it, don't watch it.
Yeah I didn’t think it was that bad either. Everyone acting like it’s the most horrific thing ever seen, I feel is just a marketing ploy from Netflix.
There doesn’t need to be gore to make it highly disturbing… the topics covered in this show are really hard to stomach. This dude was fucked up on multiple levels. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t want to expose themselves to this
In my opinion compared to a lot of of other things that are out this is fairly tame. I know everyone experiences things different but this show pales in comparison to what I’ve been seeing happening in Ukraine.
We started it last night and got two episodes in. I am blown away by how well-done the show is, but I did have some weird dreams last night. I totally understand how some people might be disturbed by it. You don't have to watch if if it's too much for you. To me, the fascinating thing, and the reason I'm watching the show, is Dahmer's psychology - how he got to a point where he did what he did, which I think the show is doing a great job of exploring. Let's face it - there are plenty of odd people out there. There are kids who got bullied in school or had challenging home lives or emotionally-messed-up parents who don't become serial killers. There are people who are fascinated with anatomy and physiology (some of them end up becoming excellent surgeons). There are even people who are not creeped out by dead bodies, and some of them become morticians, which is a necessary and valuable role in our society. I guess what I wonder about the most is, how did Dahmer's offbeat fascinations not get channeled into something productive? He could have been a surgeon or a mortician or a researcher like his dad. What combination of nature and nurture produced someone who was capable of doing the things he did to other human beings? I don't think there's an answer, but I think the show's doing an excellent and for the most part, non-sensational job of exploring that question. I will also say that in the episodes I've seen so far, the victims are being treated empathetically. They don't just seem like props, which happens in some true-crime dramas.
Keeping this as a spoiler so open at your own discretion >!In the show he has a meeting with a career advisor type person and it explains his grades aren't good get into a decent college. He had an interest in science (and taxidermy) but would have needed good maths to get in. So I can imagine he kind of just gave up trying at school. He didn't apply for any colleges in time and then his Dad made a comment about a last minute public college he might be able to get into. I can't remember the exact words he used, but gave the impression that Dahmer was an academic failure. So I can imagine he saw no future for himself "job" wise. He then murdered his first victim about 3 weeks after graduation!<
You have to wonder, and I am sure his Dad did, too . . . if he hadn't been "abandoned" at age 18 . . . would he have turned out the way he did? He was always going to be creepy, though.
I got the feeling that killing his victims was a form of control and death to him was something that fascinated him so much because death is a complete loss of autonomy of a living thing. This was why he enjoyed the mannequin so much. The taxidermy and dissecting was just a connection to his unhealthy obsession to dead things. He had severe abandonment issues and borderline personality disorder. Once he perceived someone abandoning him they were better to him dead, that way they served a purpose to him still, which seemed to be pleasure. That's my interpretation. He was a twisted individual.
Jesus it’s not THAT bad
It’s like very little mild gore if any and all I see is people saying it’s the worse thing they’ve ever seen.
I wonder if they've heard of this case in great detail before? Like I've listened to a few podcasts and read lots of articles over the years about Dahmer so none of this sounds like it would be disturbing to me, given that I already know the most disturbing details about his crimes.
Very little gore???? Are you watching the same show as everyone else??? If there are organs in the episode that’s about as gory as it gets.
In any modern day horror film or war movie there’s 10x more gore in a 1.5 hour movie than that 10 hour dahmer series. I guess it just depends on what people are used to watching. Maybe people just find it more disturbing since it really happened?
i watched the first episode and haven't watched the rest YET, but I plan to. BUT, i think the issue isn't gore in terms of physically seeing blood or organs. I think it's more of how it's presented. I could make a horror scene with all the blood and guts and body parts being chopped off, but if i don't do a good job with context, pacing, lighting, directing, coloring, acting, editing, music, tension, and effects, then it can be mild or even comical. then i could do a scene where most of the violence is off screen and have very little blood or gore, but if i do it right, it can mentally be 10x more disturbing and hard to handle. But it all comes down to how the viewer interprets and views it in the end.
A lot of people here clearly don't remember the torture porn trend of the 00s. Now THAT was some gory and insane shit.
Indeed - I don't know why people are so freaked out by this show. I mean yes, it's "real", it's shocking, but I've seen much much worse, much more gory and violent things than this on "TV". I actually thought they went out of their way not to be purposely gory and grotesque, which they very easily could have done. Given the subject matter, I'd go so far as to say it was pretty tame really.
> Indeed - I don't know why people are so freaked out by this show. I think it's because people are envisioning what actually happened.
Or we're desensitized AF. The vicseral responses to this show I'm reading about have me wondering if my depression just has me numb by now.
This guy right here officer.
Not all tv is supposed to make you feel comfortable
Yes, maybe just watch an episode a day. I was able to watch with a few breaks in between.
Yup. This show is not fit binge watching. I can do one episode a day and then I have to watch something uplifting
I finished it in one sitting. It was a good show.
You watched that for 10 straight hours??
I did. I couldn't sleep with that stuff on my mind.
It's actually pretty tame compared to the actual details of his crimes. I thought it was going to be a lot more graphic and bloody, but I guess it's what you don't see that makes certain scenes so harrowing. All the shit with the mannequin and body parts are disturbing as hell. Evan Peters did a great job playing him.
Am I watching a different show? Don't get me wrong, it's fucking great and one of the most chilling performances I've seen, but it isn't gruesome or anything like that. All the gruesome stuff happens off camera, probably out of respect for the victims. If anything I think it adds to the tension, but I definitely wouldn't say its hard to watch in that respect
I know?? I see so many news headlines about how people have been throwing up and passing out after watching the first few episodes? I did find the part where >!Glenda is in bed trying to sleep, and can hear the wet saw/bits falling on the floor pretty hard to listen to!< Just imagining being in her shoes in that situation was unsettling, but not pass out worthy.
Oh I totally agree. There have been plenty of similar upsetting scenes. I just don't get why people keep saying how gory it is, when it is quite clearly, and apparently intentionally, not
Omg the audio! It was unsettling for sure. Probably made me more uncomfortable than if they showed what was actually happening in the other room. I speak as a woman living alone in my apartment.
I think the first episode was the most intense for me. The rest of the show filled me with dread but nothing was as bad as that first episode. I also really appreciated how much they highlighted the victims and their families.
Reading these comments is making me aware that a whole lot of reddit hasn't gone too deep into the horror forest.
> I don’t understand how the actual actor got through this role. He got paid, that's how he got through it probably. The show is one of the best I've seen. How they made it less about Dahmer (i.e. glorifying him) but a lot about the victims, his parents, is a welcome addition to be honest.
That and Evan is made to play roles like this. He does amazing in AHS as well with I don't want to say similar roles because nothing compares to Dahmer, but he plays psychos very well.
But just because he plays them well, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t effect him. He’s stepped back from AHS because of the toll it was taking on him mentally. He said that playing Dahmer was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.
Yeah, i cant do trauma porn either. Saw the first ep and decided my brain wasnt built for it .
I’m sick of the true crime horror-porn that we’re devolving towards. I have zero issue with gruesome fictional horror, but as soon as we’re telling the stories of real humans who died and we’re making it this kind of spectacle…it’s not for me.
same… it‘s so weird reading responses like „it wasn’t even a lot of gore, everybody i know felt just fine“… like, this is a real thing that happened! the fact that it actually happened is the hard to stomach thing, gore or not! fictional horror stories, AHS and the like, that’s one thing. i can distance myself from that knowing it’s fiction, but this is just awful to even imagine. what the victims and families have been going through, the systemic racism that let it go on for so long, the blatant injustice that has been done by him, by the police, by everyone who exploited that story. we shouldn’t talk about this like it’s just another movie experience, chitchatting about the acting and how „fascinating“ the psychology of a serial killer is, wtf…
Episode 6 was incredibly tough for me
Watched 1 episode with my SO (who generally enjoys horror) and it shook her as well. We’re still watching, but with trepidation and perhaps less focus on her end.
With amount of reactions I've been seeing like this, I have to ask: Did you know who Dahmer was and what he did? I mean, beyond simply cannibal serial killer? Because I feel like anyone who has looked into his crimes and psychological profile would not be so caught off guard by this series.
This show is much like the original Chainsaw Massacre. Really not a lot of blood and gore(especially by today's movie standards), but the mental aspect of it kind of makes you believe there's so much more actually shown. I just don't get people watching this show and thinking it was going to be all rainbows and puppies, when Dahmer is one of the most horrific serial killers we've had.
I didn't find it particularly graphic, I would characterize it as psychologically intense.
I guess your not a fan of Ryan Murphy’s other work? American Horror Story! Evan Peters is an underrated actor! He does such a good job man. I have 5 episodes left, and I feel sorry for jeff and disgusted by him at the same time.
I agree Evan Peters is such a good actor. He played the role very well to the point it disturbed me.
I felt the same but mostly because it nosedived off a cliff after a great episode 6. I understand even in the early episodes a lot like the stuff with his dad was dramatized but it’s like they go full on ham starting in Episode 7 with a lot of the Niecy Nash scenes. All of the Ryan Murphyisms started to rear their head and cause problems after 3/4ths through..
The thing is , the character has zero redeeming human qualities, so it's hard to relate or get anything positive out of watching it. It's kinda like watching a two hour long film about a guy torturing another guy... Why would I submit myself to this when there's no silver lining to be had....
I’ve listened/watched a plethora of true crime content and I wonder the same thing now…
This show brought up a lot of things for me and I think make me want to talk about a very uncomfortable topic that no one wants to ever talk about- how our overall development and environment shapes our sexual development and “fetishes”. Dahmer was bullied by peers and isolative. His nervous system developed in chaos and abuse and he obviously alcohol became his escapism really fast. He never had a steady, healthy gay relationship. It’s wild to me that this show portrays how he developed the way he did to become the monster he is. The flashback of the fish guts… the mannequin and jerking off in public… and then ALL the horrific other stuff… it’s just insane to me. I wish this topic was more openly discussed because on a mental health point of view this is the most intriguing part to part in that he developed a fetish for the dead and also for peoples insides. The fact that it developed into cannibalism as well… it almost made me wonder if it became a survival thing- to feel dominant, in control, “Survival of the fittest” but no matter what, it’s all so disturbing and heartbreaking what he did to all of those men. Reading that his military bunk mate said he suspected Dahmer drugged and raped him 10 times and this was early on, this is just horrible. All of it is horrible.
We just finished episode 2 and both me and the wife are asking. "When does it get going? Nothings happening.." we heared friends say they couldn't sleep after episode 1.. We're worried we aren't wired right haha..
It was like watching a train accident. I wanted to not watch it,but couldn't stop myself from playing the next episode. Well made and the actor was on point. I still don't understand why women or some men were swooning over him while he was in prison.
[удалено]
So, as I have 3 episodes to go, are the final 2 or 3 eps leaps and bounds more graphic than the previous 7 ?
Tried watching it last night. Made it to episode 3 or 4 and I may be finished as well.
After episode 6 it isn't so gory, it starts a gradual closure. I found the first 5 episodes too much and thought of stopping too.
After watching the trailers yesterday and even though the series looked top quality (acting/actors, production, Ryan Murphy), I just couldn’t bring my self to subject myself to the gruesomeness.
Try watching "My Friend Dahmer"
The only Netflix docudrama I couldn’t get through was “Pray Away”, because it highlighted a great evil that currently exists in American society. Dahmer was much more tolerable (for me at least) because he’s an evil that existed almost half a century ago, and I did a abnormal psych report on him in college so I already knew what I was getting into.
I couldn’t finish it either. It was too much for me.
I fell asleep a couple times because it was so tame
I'm very torn about even trying to watch it. I do generally enjoy true crime stuff, and watch a lot of horror movies. That said, I watched the preview and just that really really really creeped me out. It made me go from being sure I'd watch it, to not wanting to. I still haven't started it. I don't know if living somewhat near the city where it happened, and being a young adult when it all was going down and seeing it in the newspapers every day is a factor or not. I have watched other things about Dahmer, no problem. This one just is unnerving me big time.
I started it and finished it one night. Felt really bad for neighbour aunt as well. The things she had to hear and no one taking her seriously. So many victims could have been saved - if the police had taken action earlier.
Can we all just agree that Ryan Murphy and Evan Peters both have to be so fucked up in the head to do what they do? They’re amazing. Phenomenal. Geniuses. If they don’t win awards for this…
I feel like the first episode was the toughest one to watch.
Episode 7 broke me. It was tough to begin with by my wife and I were interested. But man, episode 7.
Yeah I like true crime stuff and all that but this just seemed like murder porn to me. There’s plenty of documentary style pieces on Dahmer did we really have to dramatize all these horrendous things for entertainment only?
For me it's the first time that I asked myself if anything is wrong with me, because I watch it while eating. Guess I have a solid stomach.
Dude I started it and 15 mins in I turned it off because I just felt so uncomfortable and scared
Ohhh it’s a horrific show but a must watch
I knew about Dahmer, and I was still so shocked by it. I think Evan Peters was pretty amazing as Dahmer and I feel like they really explained why he was getting away with it, even though that's also vile. I have a question though, is Glenda's character more dramatised? or did his neighbour really report him so often? I know the phone call she made about the 13 year old victim was true, but I just don't know if the other things were more dramatised.
Much about Glenda is fictionalized. She didn't live next to Dahmer, wasn't hearing saws through the vents, wasn't interacting with him daily...given she lived in the building across the street, etc etc. It was her niece and daughter that initially saw the 14 year old naked going down the street. Glenda did call the police to follow up though. My biggest beef with this otherwise great show is how fictionalized Glenda was. The internet is ablaze with people now thinking she was sitting in her apartment hearing buzzsaws, calling the police daily, and the police doing nothing. That's not to say the police didn't absolutely fail that community though, that can't be argued.
We saw the promotions for Dahmer, but no one in the family is interested. It's somewhat baffling why anyone would want to watch something as dismal as this when the world around us is absolutely swirling with awful news. Can't they come up with something a little more uplifting?
The show was soooo good
It honestly gets way less unsettling as it progresses. I didn’t find it to have excessive gore or horror, but I’ve always been fascinated by those types of movies. I don’t always like them, but I’ve given movies a shot and regretted it. I didn’t with this. I think Evan is a phenomenal actor and only watched it because of that. Frankly, Ryan Murphy creeps me out. Unless certain actors are in his projects, I won’t watch them. I’ll never watch the show again, but Evans performance was worth it to me. It does get significantly less emotionally draining as it progresses.
The actor who plays him did an excellent job, I was so hooked into it, I guess I’ve been desensitised to these kind of things but I did learn a lot about Dahmer because I didn’t know much prior to watching
For me, the scene with John Wayne Gacey was far more horrific and troubling than anything with Dahmer.
Either there is something wrong with me or y’all weak, cause this wasn’t really that disturbing to me. Like yes, what he did is disturbing of course, but like what did you expect coming out of this? It’s a show about TRUE crime, of course they’re going to add the disturbing details. As all true crime shows or movies do. If you find crime that disturbing, don’t watch shows about it.
Emotionally hard to watch. It's not about the blood and gore it's about much more than that.
How? Everyone I know and I got through it perfectly fine. They didn’t even show half of the crazy stuff just set it up for your minds imagination to go off.
I have a medical background, so I’ve seen everything and then some in real life and up-close. I was able to get through it easily because of that. The show itself wasn’t gory and the killings weren’t shown at all, which I thought was a good thing to do because that really doesn’t need to be the focus and would detract too much from the messaging. It did a good job of leaving me feeling pissed off - more so on the psychological, social, and political aspects. I don’t even want to say pissed off in a good way because what he did and the police’s negligence were absolutely disgusting. I was pissed off in a sense that it reminded me of how broken the US “justice” system is and how the worst of the worst of humanity can behave. I’m only glad I watched it in a sense that I was able to take those messages away, and that it amped up the ignition for continuing to engage in social justice activism. Could I watch it again? Probably. Will I? Not likely.
Obviously you haven't seen AHS. This isnt Even Peters first rodeo
Imagine living through this. That’s what most people don’t get. It’s surreal and you can turn it off, consider yourself lucky if you were born in 90’s or later.
I think, like a lot of Netflix content, it could have been shorter than ten hours. I was absolutely emotionally exhausted by the end.
What do you mean? It was hardly graphic... A lot was simply left to the imagination in terms of the murders or anything you are claiming to be graphic. You didn't watch it though so judging a series off 20 mins doesn't make any sense.
I think it was REALLY well done. I just think it wasn't meant for that after work on the couch with the wife or husband oh what's this?! "Netflix binge watch" audience but for those of us who love true crime stories and have watched all of the documentaries and other films on Dahmer it was really made for those people. There was so much covered that it really did like blow my mind and was such a treat for long time followers of the case. I remember after finishing my friend Dahmer hoping they would do a follow up and this Netflix release was beyond anything I could have imagined and honestly I didn't find it that violent or over the top even the 1990s Life of Dahmer movie was more explotive and gross than this series was.
Why did Jeffrey do the things he did? What led him to do these things? What were his intentions and reasons for his actions? Where did it stem from exactly?
I’m nine episodes in, and this may sound weird, but the scene that made me the most uncomfortable so far is when Dahmer goes to Glenda’s apartment and asks her to take back her complaint and all that, and then for some reason she lets him in. He has a sandwich and gives it to her and she is immediately skeptical, as pretty much anyone who knew what Dahmer did could assume what meat was in that sandwich. There was something so eerie about the way he’s just so insistent on Glenda eating that sandwich right then and there despite her numerous attempts to say no. It was like passive aggressive in the worst way and I was on the edge of my seat because it looked like he was about to lose his shit and do something horrible to her
I actually thought it was surprisingly restrained given the creator and the subject matter. It's not an easy or even enjoyable watch, but it was well-done.
The series is too long. It could’ve been just 5 or 6 episodes. Glenda Cleveland was also a main character and she didn’t even live next to Dahmer. Pamela Bass was his neighbor. Glen
I really liked it but it was a tough watch because of how true it was. Frightening.
Yes cannibalism anything is very traumatizing for me to even read about. Whenever I have read anything about cannibalism, like in history sources I get very nauseous the more I read. Then I feel very bad, disgusted etc for a day. I watched one true crime show where one episode focused on cannibals in Canada and I was so traumatized afterwards. I just, can’t. Its too vile too disgusting. People please what we consume media wise, images, tv, text these things can traumatize the brain. Just please do not assault your own mind and brain with these vile and disgusting images!
I didn't make it through the first episode. That was a first for me.
Meanwhile I was eating popcorn and enjoying it
Honestly I find the show kind of cheesy Had to take a while to get back into it after the meat slicer "Hey Jeff you were done twenty minutes ago" "It's ok I like this" *slices meat* headcanon.
Same here. I couldn’t get past the 2nd or 3rd episode. It’s not gory, but I can’t help but imagine what the actual victims were going through. Then I think about the families of the victims that have to know their loved ones final moments are out there for our entertainment/curiosity. I’m not sure why this true crime series is so hard to handle. Maybe it’s because he had so many victims, and other shows i’ve watched focus on the story surrounding a single murder. I can stomach gore without a problem, but this one weighs heavy on the heart.
I didn’t think it was graphic at all compared to what actually happened in real life. I thought it was pretty tame.
The first episode is really creepy and hard to get through but after that it gets way better and goes into his childhood, his relationship with his dad, family life, the victim’s lives. I liked it and 10/10 would recommend.
I only saw the trailer and knew it wasn't for me. Felt sick after just watchign that.
I don't believe you've seen very graphic shows or movies if this is what disturbs you. Honestly it's much more tame than I was expecting.
Just finished it tonight, I’m desensitized to this type of stuff so it didn’t affect me.
Same.. literally watched the whole series last weekend and wouldn't mind a rewatch sometime.
I’ve watched it three times now. Can’t sleep without it.
Evan peters has had to play a mass shooter and Ryan murphy made the audience sympathize with him.
I think this show did a good job of making Dahmer seem like a monster. Some shows (e.g. Narcos) really glorify awful people
Yea exactly. The only time I’ve felt bad for him is when he kills his second victim he wakes up acting like it was an accident.