Watch Dahmer
- R
- 2002
- 1 hr 41 min
-
5.6 (11,852)
Dahmer is a 2002 American biographical crime thriller film, directed by David Jacobson and written by Jacobson and Jeffrey Jentzen. The film stars Jeremy Renner as Jeffrey Dahmer, Bruce Davison as Lionel Dahmer (Jeffrey's father), Artel Kayà ru as Rodney (Jeffrey's last victim), and Matt Newton as John Backderf (Jeffrey's high school classmate).
The movie portrays the life of Jeffrey Dahmer, a notorious serial killer and cannibal who murdered seventeen young men and boys in the United States between 1978 and 1991. The film opens with a young Jeffrey Dahmer being raised by his parents in Bath, Ohio. He is portrayed as a quiet, introverted boy who is interested in collecting animal bones and dissecting dead animals. As he grows older, he becomes increasingly isolated and withdrawn from his family and peers.
The film then follows Dahmer through his college years and into adulthood, as he struggles with his sexual identity and a growing obsession with murdering and dismembering young men. Renner delivers a chilling and disturbing performance as Dahmer, bringing a frighteningly realistic portrayal of the killer to the screen.
Throughout the film, we see Dahmer's interactions with his victims, as well as his attempts to hide his crimes from those around him. He lures young men back to his apartment, where he drugs and strangles them, proceeding to dismember their bodies and store their remains in his apartment. The film's depiction of the murders is graphic and disturbing, but it does not revel in gratuitous violence.
Dahmer's relationship with his father, Lionel, is also explored in depth in the film. Lionel is portrayed as a well-meaning but emotionally distant man who fails to understand his son's struggles. Their relationship becomes increasingly strained as Dahmer's behavior becomes more erratic and violent, culminating in an emotional confrontation near the end of the film.
The movie also touches on the societal issues that may have contributed to Dahmer's actions. Society's rejection of homosexuality in the 1980s, coupled with Dahmer's own internalized homophobia, left him feeling isolated and alone. He found solace in alcohol and drugs, which only fueled his lust for murder.
Ultimately, the film serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of isolation and the consequences of unchecked mental illness. It forces viewers to confront the uncomfortable reality that even the most heinous crimes can be committed by seemingly ordinary people.
Overall, Dahmer is an intense and disturbing film that offers a raw and unflinching glimpse into the mind of one of America's most notorious serial killers. It is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can stomach its graphic content, it is a powerful and deeply affecting piece of cinema.
Dahmer is a 2002 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6 and a MetaScore of 63.