Content Warning: This show contains graphic depictions of death and cannibalism, not for the faint of heart. If that is something you are unable to handle, I recommend skipping this show and checking out other great content on Netflix. However, if you, too, enjoy true crime, join me in a deep dive into this bizarre new show. 

To start off, I’m not sure how this show can be described. Good? Bad? Interesting? Well, it definitely does not belong in the pleasing category. This show, despite being gruesome, remains true to the actual crimes that occurred. It takes the scary, heinous crimes committed by Jeffery Dahmer, and it delivers a hyper-realistic, controversial result. 

Jeffery Dahmer was a serial killer and cannibal who caused terror during the 70’s through the 90’s. His victims were males who ranged from the ages of 15 to 35. Many said that the reason he became like this was because of his parents. His mother was living off pills, and his dad didn’t care about the family. These issues eventually led to a divorce, and Jeffrey stayed with his father. When Dahmer was a child, his father taught him to dissect dead animals they found on the streets. Dahmer fell in love with this gory hobby to the point he started dissecting humans as well.

There are many controversies as to whether this show was a good idea to be released on Netflix. The director of this show, Ryan Murphy, wanted to showcase the Milwaukee Police Department’s ignorant behavior towards Black men, which led to the death of many. People ultimately disagreed with this idea because the show brought back the traumatic memories to the victim’s families. 

Evan Peters, who plays the main character Jeffrey Dahmer, did an excellent job in his role. At first, Peters wasn’t prepared to play this role, but he wanted to show respect to the victims and their families by portraying Dahmer as accurately as possible. To get ready for the shooting of the show, he watched Dahmer’s 1994 interview where he calmly admits to all the murders he’s committed. Peter did a great job acting out his part and eliciting the feelings that the real Jeffrey Dahmer had. Everyone’s acting in the show was unbelievable, and the viewers could feel the intensity of the emotions they were channeling through the screen. However, some scenes were disturbing and had to be skipped. 

Every episode built suspense and kept me on my toes throughout each scene. Moreover, the show, which was set around the 1970s to 1990s, included numerous aspects that stayed true to the atmosphere at the time from the television to the cars to the cellphones. The show also depicted the heavy racism of the time, which while a bit uncomfortable, was a reminder of the paradigms in that time period. One such scene involved two police officers finding an underage teen sitting in the middle of the road, unconscious and half naked. This situation was reported by women of color, but when Jeffery arrived, he claimed to be the teen’s boyfriend. The police simply let him take the teen away with a vague explanation. Rage filled me when I saw that scene. How can they just let an unconscious, naked, nearly dead boy be taken away by someone without any form of identification? Another scene involved police officers mocking an Asian victim’s family and telling them to return to their homeland. As disgusting and heart-wrenching this racism is, it helped build the setting of the show and portrayed the unfortunate reality.

The show itself was interesting, not good nor bad, but interesting. However, due to the disturbing scenes, I would not watch it again. It’s different from the romantic shows I typically watch as well. If you’re into true crime shows, though, I would highly recommend this; if you’re not, it’s probably not a wise choice to watch it.