Available today on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital is the biographical drama, My Friend Dahmer.
The film stars Ross Lynch, Anne Heche, Alex Wolff, Dallas Roberts, Tommy Nelson and Vincent Kartheiser.
I’m not sure if it’s 100% true or not, but this film is supposed to be a biography of the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Ross Lynch stars as Dahmer.
My Friend Dahmer is the story about Jeffrey Dahmer’s life prior to his killing spree. It focuses on Jeffrey’s life in high school up until graduation.
Jeffrey was always a bit of an odd ball. He enjoyed collecting dead animals and dissolving their flesh using chemicals to bring out the bones.
Jeffrey is also obsessed by a male jogger that he sees every day on his way to school.
Jeffrey’s father is not keen on his son’s collection, so he destroys it and demands that Jeffrey make REAL friends at school. Jeffrey is successful in making a friend, John “Derf” Backderf. Derf introduces Jeffrey to his friends.
Derf is an artist. Jeffrey inspired a few drawings that he did while in high school.
As time goes on, Jeffrey still lusts for the jogger that he sees. He then finds out that the jogger is a doctor named Dr. Matthews.
Jeffrey goes so far as to fake a cold so that he can pay Dr. Matthew’s a visit. His visit props Jeffrey to have many fantasies about Dr. Matthews, including being with Dr. Matthews’ corpse.
Jeffrey has visions of attacking Dr. Matthews with a baseball bat, but never goes through with it.
Jeffrey’s home life takes a turn for the worst when his father movies out while he’s on a school fiedtrip. To add to that, Jeffrey’s mother moves away to live with relatives, leaving Jeffrey in the family home all alone.
This story leads up to the first of Dahmer’s victims, Steven Hicks.
This is a creepy look at the life of this infamous rapist, killer and cannibal. What makes it even more chilling is that Ross Lynch sort of looks like a young Dahmer in real life.
I was going to school (college) to become a Forensic Psychologist. I have always been fascinated by the minds of serial killers. What makes them “tick?” What causes a relatively “normal” person to do such horrific crimes? How much of it is nurture and how much of it is due to something “wrong” with the way their brains are wired.
Needless to say I found this film fascinating. I have read books about Dahmer, but it was much more interesting to see his life play out in front of me.
Dahmer was a strange young man, to say the least. I wonder if his home life had a lot to do with it. It wasn’t exactly a normal, happy family life.
I also wonder what his friend in high school think about what kind of a monster he became. I can’t imagine being friends with a future serial killer. How scary!
I though this film was very interesting, entertaining (in a weird kind of way) and well acted. Kudos to Ross Lynch for his performance of Jeffrey Dahmer. It doesn’t sound like the role of a lifetime, but he did do an excellent job. It’s as if the part was written with him in mind.
There are some bonus features, but mostly just an interview with Ross Lynch and the theatrical trailer (see below).
Look for My Friend Dahmer wherever ever movies are sold.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.