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My Friend Dahmer
2017 107 min United States of America R 18+
★6.6
History, Drama, Crime
Director: Marc Meyers
Trailers
EN
EN
Teaser
Description
Jeffrey Dahmer struggles with a difficult family life as a young boy. During his teenage years he slowly transforms, edging closer to the serial killer he was to become.
US Gross:
$1.36M
Worldwide:
$1.36M
Starring
Ross Lynch
Actor
Alex Wolff
Actor
Anne Heche
Actor
Awards
1 win & 2 nominations total
Key opinion
My Friend Dahmer is a character study that examines the teenage years of a future serial killer through the lens of parental neglect and social isolation. While praised for its lead performance and evocative 1970s atmosphere, it is frequently criticized for its lack of narrative drive and its failure to provide a satisfying psychological explanation for Dahmer's later crimes.
| Acting | Ross Lynch delivers a physically precise and unsettling performance that anchors the character study. | |
| Production | The film successfully captures the 1970s small-town setting and school environment through authentic production design and color grading. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay remains frustratingly enigmatic, failing to bridge the gap between teenage behavior and adult criminality. | |
| Pacing | Viewers familiar with the source material find the pacing compelling, while those unfamiliar with the subject matter find the film's slow start and lack of narrative momentum boring. | |
| Theme | The film's focus on elicited empathy for a young Dahmer is contentious, with some finding it a thoughtful look at childhood trauma and others feeling it is dangerously sympathetic toward a future killer. |