Review of Dahmer (2002) by Just S — 02 Jul 2010

A film directed by David Jaconson and starring Jeremy Renner, Artel Kayaru, Matt Newton, and Bruce Davison. Dahmer is about the life of a severely troubled young man who develops a morbid fascination which develops into sadistic fantasies that the notorious serial killer eventually forms into a vicious reality.

This film is a deep exploration into Dahmer's personality, which is the main strength of the film. It is a character study of a very sick man who is driven off the edge and becomes a monster. Jeremy Renner is spectacular as Dahmer.

His performance is about as fearless as acting can possibly get. Renner becomes Dahmer for nearly two hours and gives a powerful portrayal of this man. This film is more of a human study of Dahmer, almost making the man someone we can sympathize with until we are shown his true depravity and then we remember just how monstrous his nature truly is.

The supporting performances are impressive but nowhere near as impressive as Renner. Artel Kayaru is quite good in a vital supporting role and Bruce Davison is great as Dahmer's father. This film is directed by David Jacobson, who does a fine job of crafting this unsettling but undeniably fascinating story.

Dahmer is one of the greatest films I have seen about the life of a real serial killer. It's important to know that this film is not really a portrayal of Dahmer's actual crimes although we do witness him committing a few brutal acts.

This film is more of a character study about the man's personality and who he truly was. This film digs deep into his personality and Renner's performance tops it all off. The direction and visuals of this film are superb as well.

Dahmer is a masterpiece. A disturbing but intriguing true to life tale about a truly troubled and sick man who became a notorious serial killer.