Watch Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal

Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal is a chilling documentary that delves into the disturbing life and crimes of one of America's most infamous serial killers. The four-part series, which aired on ReelzChannel in 2019, offers a comprehensive look at Dahmer's upbringing, his descent into homicidal madness, and the aftermath of his arrest and trial.

From the outset, the series makes it clear that Dahmer's crimes were truly horrific. Over a span of thirteen years, he murdered seventeen young men and boys, often luring them to his Milwaukee apartment and subjecting them to unspeakable acts of torture, rape, and cannibalism. The show doesn't shy away from the gruesome details of these crimes, including Dahmer's practice of drilling holes in his victims' skulls and injecting them with acid in an attempt to create "zombies" who would be obedient to his will.

Despite the graphic nature of the subject matter, Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal manages to be an insightful and thought-provoking exploration of a deeply disturbed individual. This is largely due to the use of interviews with people who knew Dahmer at various stages of his life, including classmates, neighbors, and law enforcement officials who worked on his case. Through these interviews, the viewer gains a sense of the many ways in which Dahmer's personality was shaped by both biological and environmental factors.

The series begins by exploring Dahmer's childhood in Ohio, where he was raised by parents who were often at odds with each other. Dahmer was a quiet and introverted child who struggled to connect with his peers and often retreated into a fantasy world of his own making. As he grew older, he developed an intense interest in dissecting small animals, which foreshadowed the grotesque experiments he would later perform on human beings.

As an adult, Dahmer's mental state continued to deteriorate, and he began to act on his darkest impulses. The series devotes considerable time to detailing his modus operandi, including his use of drugs and alcohol to lower his victims' inhibitions and his skillful manipulation of potential targets to gain their trust. It also examines the many ways in which law enforcement officials failed to catch Dahmer earlier in his killing spree, despite numerous signs that he was a dangerous individual.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal is the way in which it handles the question of "nature versus nurture" in relation to Dahmer's crimes. The show suggests that while Dahmer certainly had a genetic predisposition towards violence and mental illness, he was also profoundly affected by his chaotic and dysfunctional upbringing. Interviews with his father and stepmother reveal that they were often abusive towards him, and that they frequently fought with each other in front of him. Dahmer himself later admitted that he began drinking heavily in his teens as a way to escape the turmoil of his home life.

The series also explores the societal factors that contributed to Dahmer's ability to go undetected for so long. In particular, it highlights the fact that all of his victims were young men of color, many of whom were living on the margins of society. The reluctance of law enforcement officials to take these disappearances seriously is indicative of the way in which certain populations are often marginalized and ignored in our society.

Overall, Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal is a gripping, if disturbing, look at one of America's most notorious murderers. While it doesn't offer any easy answers about why Dahmer did what he did, it does provide a nuanced and multifaceted portrait of a complex and deeply troubled individual. It is not a show for the faint of heart, but for those who are fascinated by true crime and the workings of the human psyche, it is well worth a watch.

Jeffrey Dahmer: Killer Cannibal is a series that ran for 1 seasons (2 episodes) between May 19, 2019 and on ReelzChannel