My Friend Dahmer
2017 · Directed by Marc Meyers
Original language: English
- history
- drama
- crime
The story
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.
What it’s like
Washed-out Ohio suburban daylight and beige, under-lit interiors give this film a flat, uneasy surface, the kind of 1970s school hallways and kitchens that feel slightly too quiet. Marc Meyers frames in restrained, mostly static medium shots that hold on faces and rooms a beat too long, so small gestures carry weight. The score is sparse and low, with long stretches of ambient hum and near silence that let the dread accumulate without tipping into horror. Its vibe is bleak, slow-burning and clinical, closer to a cold rainy afternoon than to any comfort watch. The intensity is considerable: the central character's disturbing behavior, murder and its aftermath are shown, with some graphic and sexual content, and the tension is more chilling than gory. Expect a sense of unease throughout, with a teenager's isolation and a fractured family pressing in. It suits viewers who want a psychological, character-driven study of how a troubled young man drifts toward catastrophe, and who can sit with discomfort rather than catharsis.
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