My Friend Dahmer (4 Stars)

When I first reviewed this film in 2017 I received heavy criticism from a friend of mine who complained about a film being made that glorifies Jeffrey Dahmer. She also said that the allegedly accurate biopic must be a fake, because Dahmer didn't have any friends. My answers are:

The film does not in any way glorify Jeffrey Dahmer. It's an attempt to explain him, but not to justify him. After watching the film nobody will in any way like him as a person.

The film is based on the memories of John Backderf, who went to school with Jeffrey Dahmer and says he was his friend in his final year. That's good enough for me. I see no reason to accuse him of lying.

This film is based on the graphic novel "My Friend Dahmer", written and drawn by John Backderf. After watching the film in 2017 I read the graphic novel. I found that the film is an accurate adaptation of the novel, apart from certain events being reversed. (In the novel Dahmer's first murder was before the last time he saw Backderf, but the film shows the events the other way round). What the film is missing is Backderf's introspection. What I mean is, in the novel Backderf gives his thoughts about incidents in his last year of school. In the film we just see what's happening, so we're missing out. We don't get the full picture from watching the film.

The biggest loss from the lack of introspection is Backderf's guilt about failing Dahmer. It's true, they were friends, but Backderf thinks he might have been using Dahmer when he could have been helping him. Dahmer was a comedic character, making people laugh by randomly spazzing out, i.e. pretending to have epileptic fits. Backderf encouraged Dahmer to continue, effectively using Dahmer for his own amusement.

It was obvious to Backderf, though not to the teachers, that Dahmer had an alcohol problem. Could he have done more to stop him? Maybe, maybe not. Backderf was only 18, not mature enough to offer help, but he still feels guilt now that he's older.

Jeffrey Dahmer was an awkward teenager from a broken family, socially inept, and struggling with homosexual urges which he was unable to deal with. It wasn't just John Backderf who failed him. There were many people around him who could have stepped in to give advice or counselling. I'm not saying that to excuse Dahmer. There are thousands, maybe millions of teenagers who grow up in difficult circumstances like these, but they don't become murderers. Jeffrey Dahmer was a monster, and the film shows his early developments, helping us to understand him.

Jeffrey Dahmer, photograph taken at Revere High School in 1978. 

Jeffrey Dahmer, sketch drawn by John Backderf in 1978. I'm glad he kept it after leaving school.

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