Dahmer Editors Went an Extra Mile to Make Sure Evan Peters’ Killer Wasn’t Sympathetic (And Kinda Failed)

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story caused quite a stir when it was released in 2022, as the series was based on the real-life crimes of the titular serial killer, portrayed by Evan Peters.

It was criticized for a variety of reasons, one of which was that some viewers felt the show's creators romanticized the killer too much.

According to Variety, Stephanie Filo, one of the editors of the Netflix series, had to edit the footage in order to prevent the audience from feeling sympathy for Dahmer.

She achieved the desired effect by intercutting the scenes that might make the viewer feel more sympathetic toward Dahmer with others that showed the creepy and weird things he did, in order to "give context to the horrific things that were happening."

Also, given the extremely sensitive nature of the show being based on true events, Filo had to be especially careful not to disrespect the victims and not to portray Dahmer in a positive light.

Fans say that despite the editor's best efforts, Evan Peters' charisma may have been a little too much for her to handle, leading to the controversy.

However, they also point out that it may be true to life, as many serial killers were indeed charismatic and charming, and that was what allowed them to get close to their victims in the first place.

Others feel that the situation is exaggerated, as even though Peters' performance was great, it gave them nothing but creeps and a feeling of disgust towards the character.

Either way, the topic of true crime TV shows and movies is an extremely complicated one, with the line between respect and exploitation being very blurry.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and this format may not be for everyone.

The next installment in the anthology series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story, will be released sometime in 2024.

Sources: Variety, Reddit