Rental Review: Dahmer

By Ryn Gargulinski
With bad acting, worse flashbacks and annoying supposed-to-be-edgy strobe light effects, Dahmer chimes in as a definite Don’t. One flashback scene expects the audience to realize Jeff is some 10 years younger just because the exact same actor with the exact same haircut is wearing glasses and a polo shirt.

Although it’s claimed to be “loosely based on the true story” of this serial murderer who drugged, seduced and killed at least 15 young men in his Milwaukee lair, it’s so loosely based that you wouldn’t even know what you were watching unless you remembered the title.

In fact, we barely see him kill a single person in the whole flick, never mind chopping them up and, as reported, storing them in the freezer.

Actually, there is a kind of chop up scene which depict Jeffrey getting drunk and putting a blade to a corpse’s arm, but it’s quickly followed by a scene of a bloody kitchen floor which, minutes later, is somehow miraculously scrubbed clean. (This particular sequence reminds one of those cartoons where a character gets beat to heck then appears totally fine in the next frame.)

At least Jeff does attempt to drill someone’s skull open but the guy ends up getting up and walking around not long after.

The only body part hidden away is the mannequin’s head, wrapped in Saran Wrap, Dahmer hides in a box that used to contain his dad’s chemistry set. Why he “preserved” a plastic head in Saran Wrap is a better question to ponder than asking yourself why you rented this thing in the first place.

Highlight: The ending credits, even though the viewer doesn’t expect them since we are still waiting for him to actually kill someone.
Lowlight: Felling compelled to watch the whole thing just because you’re really into true crime.
Rating (1-10): -4

Since I just joined an unlimited rental monthly thing, you’re going to be reading about movies.