As the weather gets colder and the seasons become spookier, Netflix’s new docuseries “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” has garnered much attention and praise for its eerie cinematography and resemblance to the true story of the Milwaukee serial killer. From its paralyzing storyline to emotional backstory, the series has gripped the country and social media by storm. Yet, as fans rave on about the series, questions surrounding the ethics of the production have arisen.
Some of the series’ most outspoken critics have labeled the show as nothing more than a “media grab,” opportunistically timed before the Halloween season. Others have pointed out how traumatizing it has been for the victims’ families to relive the horrors dealt by Dahmer. Amongst what critics consider the most egregious about the film series is how Netflix of the victims before proceeding with the adaptation. Many of the victims’ family members have spoken out, stating how they realized their stories were being broadcasted to the whole world at the same time everyone else learned: when the series began streaming on Netflix.
Dahmer, played by Evan Peters, is characterized in the series by his awkward mannerisms and chaotic childhood. Directed by Ryan Murphy—who also directed the musical series “Glee”—the series takes the audience through Dahmer’s tumultuous upbringing, where we learn of his mother’s struggle with mental illness and his father’s attempts at reconciling their family. The series overall endeavors to explore Dahmer’s violent crimes through the stories of his victims. Yet, ironically, it seems like the focus of the show rests on Dahmer. Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, one of Dahmer’s victims, stated that watching the series— at Dahmer’s trial in episode eight—was retraumatizing. The same resemblance that fans acclaim is a sore spot for relatives of Dahmer’s victims, who found it particularly hard to watch the series due to how similar the scenes were to their testimonies and how emotionally provocative it was.
Even if well-intended, Nathaniel Brennan, an adjunct professor of cinema studies at New York University who is teaching a course on true crime this semester, true crime “is by nature an exploitative genre.” The victims become pawns, often at the expense of themselves, for the pity-party thrown for the perpetrator. Just as Dahmer was in this Netflix series, infamous serial killers are often portrayed as “misunderstood,” or as the result of a tragic childhood. The notion is given off that society could (or should) have done more for the troubled criminals. In reality, the truth is that most serial killers are pathological, and even if they suffered from trauma themselves, there is no excuse for their wrongdoings. Although sensational docuseries such as this Jeffrey Dahmer adaptation are riveting to watch for some, there should always exist the careful reminder of how horrific his deeds were and the impact his actions had on real people. The characters may seem just that—like characters of a TV show—but they are portraying genuine and hurt victims as well. Although Netflix may have produced yet another giant success, at what cost did it come? Despite its applaudable cast and filmmaking, should it really be considered a sincere tribute to the victims, or a greedy production at the expense of them?
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 老司机传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 老司机传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.