Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes retells the story of the serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, through tapes that weren’t made available to the public till now. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Lawyers, reporters, lieutenants, psychiatrists, neighbors, and everyone else from the trial of the serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, gather to talk about the events that led up to the killer’s arrest.
As the tapes recorded by Dahmer’s lawyer, Wendy Patrickus, play, we learn about Dahmer’s childhood, the separation of his parents, how he became a loner, and the first time he got the urge to turn his fantasy into reality.
Dahmer, who figured out that he was attracted to men, dreamed of intercourse where the other person is submissive to him.
In order to fulfill his desire, he once invited a young man into his house and insisted he stay. When that man resisted, Dahmer went on to kill him and claim his first victim.
Over the years, he killed 17 young men and curated a personal gallery in his apartment, where he stored their heads, skulls, bones, and much more before he got caught.
The show further reveals how the victims’ families reacted, the price Dahmer paid for his crimes, and his state of mind.
Positives
Apart from keeping Dahmer as the center of discussion, the documentary gives quite an in-depth look into the political climate during the time he carried out his atrocities.
Watching the people involved go through the things Dahmer spoke of to them is quite unpleasant, but that’s the ride viewers are in for. Even the old footage, where reporters were stunned after talking about the crimes Dahmer committed.
Negatives
The documentary constantly jumps between Dahmer’s past and the events after he was arrested. Sometimes, it’s confusing for a viewer to keep up.
Even though the story through the eyes of the people involved is built well, it often stretches itself out.
Verdict
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes does a good job of retelling Dahmer’s story, but at a time when there is already a series dedicated to this particular topic with footage available online, this one comes off as quite inessential.
Thus, making this third installment of Conversations with a Killer, optional.
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes
Director: Joe Berlinger
Date Created: 2022-10-07 12:30
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