Cinema Review: My Friend Dahmer


Posted May 30, 2018 in Cinema Reviews

My Friend Dahmer 

Director: Marc Meyers

Talent: Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Anne Heche, Vincent Kartheiser and Dallas Roberts

Released: 1 June

It’s fair to approach any examination of someone like Jeffrey Dahmer with intrigue or incredulousness, perhaps even cynicism and disdain, depending on your tastes. He both fascinates and disgusts. Dahmer, the man, raped and murdered 17 men and boys. But this is the history of the boy becoming the man. And Meyers’ incantation here is fascinating.

While not exactly humanising a serial killer, My Friend Dahmer is really more of a showcase for what came before, examining his failures to connect, to assimilate on an emotional/personal level with most of those around him like you or I would. Despite suffering the usual torments of the American High School bullies, Dahmer (Lynch) also wrangles with a confusing and burgeoning (homo)sexuality. With a somewhat skewed sense of humour, he does actually manage to make some friends and finds a role as the much appreciated court jester of the gang.

These familiar school-related tropes are partnered with the horrifying first signifiers of a warped mind; killing animals, an obsession with bones and necrophilia. It doesn’t help that all this emotional rigor, which he is unable to compartmentalise, is then paired with his parents messy divorce. An already unstable state of mind goes unchecked and develops an overwhelming fear of abandonment that flexed itself into the monster we all know him to be. Still, gore and savagery is replaced here with subtle and well-paced storytelling.

The performances across the board are exemplary, in particular young Lynch who up until this has been more noted for his place in pop group R5 and many tween/teen friendly endeavours on TV. Here, he encapsulates the role with the brooding intensity and aura of bizarreness the role called for. A smart film and a promising role for a young actor, whatever path he chooses to follow.

Words: Shane O’Reilly

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