My Friend Dahmer

R

Released Nov 3, 2017

1 hr. 47 min.

Biography

Drama

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List

86%

105 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The true, haunting story of young Jeffrey Dahmer -- the shy adolescent in high school who becomes a notorious serial killer years later.

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Critics Consensus

My Friend Dahmer opens a window into the making of a serial killer whose conclusions are as empathetic as they are deeply troubling.

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Jeff M

This is a shockingly good movie detailing the high school years of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer - I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of this production, having heard nothing about it before seeing it. I know nothing at all about this young Ross Lynch kid - apparently his background includes a Disney Channel show and being in a band or two. He is sensational here, and it's an electrifying performance that deserved awards attention. He perfectly nails this awkward adolescent, from the blank stare to the uncomfortable posture and walk. It's a performance that could have so easily gone over the top, but I believed every second of it. Sadly, the same can't be said for Heche as his mother in a performance that feels like a caricature and doesn't gel tonally with the rest of the film. The film isn't really able to explain what led to Dahmer's erosion - his home life wasn't great and he was an outcast at school, but neither to a remarkable degree. But there probably isn't one specific answer. This movie just wants to give us a glimpse into the young life of a deeply disturbed man - and it succeeds tremendously well. And Lynch's performance is one I'll remember for a long time to come.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Tyler S

Solid depiction of Jeffrey Dahmer's early life. Not my favorite Dahmer project but it is still worth the watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/24

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Gareth v

Based on the fantastic graphic novel, the movie version comes across as a tad flat. Not bad but the novel is far superior.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

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Rogue 5

A combination of sadness and scary emotions that will make you feel bad for Dahmer and see how great of an actor Ross Lynch is.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/04/23

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Ted B

3.5 stars; You know. A lot goes into the making of a serial killer. This movie did a good job portraying the teen years of Jeffrey Dahmer. You start with a teen going through the self identity phase of life trying to be accepted by classmates. Take into account that he was already somewhat off-center, and was living through an uncivil divorce of his parents, he was ripe for his development as a sick psychotic. Who's gang of friends But do you have a round width Saw him as a weirdo, and loved to play tricks on him. All of this played as a catalyst to Is psychosis. He developed an interest in death and what's on the insides of people that makes them tick. This fascination eventually led to him becoming a mass-murderer to a confessed list of 17 victims. Fortunately, the film ends just as he's starting down that path. Ross Lynch gave a good believable performance as Jeffery Dahmer..

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/23

Full Review

stevey t

Terrible acting overshadowed the entire plot. Lynch gave his worst performance yet, as you might expect from a disney trained actor attempting to embody such a deeply disturbed role. I believe the high reviews stem from a morbid curiosity and need to humanize/understand serial killers, not from enjoying the movie itself. The pacing and dialogue was good but that's not enough to carry a movie.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Marc Meyers

Director

Ross Lynch

Jeffrey Dahmer

Alex Wolff

Derf

Anne Heche

Joyce Dahmer

Dallas Roberts

Lionel Dahmer

Miles Robbins

Lloyd Figg

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My Friend Dahmer: Trailer 1

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My Friend Dahmer: Teaser Trailer 1

1:46

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Elena Lazic

Little White Lies

Although My Friend Dahmer does not resolve the impossible question of 'nature vs nurture', it approaches it with a humanity that is too often missing from such stories.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 3, 2018

Full Review

Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

Isn't there something pathological about the way we privilege the pathological? If you can stomach the focus of My Friend Dahmer, you'll find this rewarding.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 9, 2018

Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

My Friend Dahmer is nonetheless a sad film about squandered opportunity. Everybody is losing out in this grim, claustrophobic version of the late 1970s.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 8, 2018

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

It's a frightening film, but more than that it's a drama. More than that it's a tragedy.

Rated: 8/10

Oct 10, 2021

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

In addition to Lynch's breakout performance, Alex Wolff is riveting as Backderf.

Rated: 3.0/4.0

Sep 17, 2020

Full Review

Andrew Gaudion

THN

While maybe not as subtle as it could've been, does offer a indisputably curious account of the young man that came before the monster,

Rated: 3/5

Aug 30, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

The true, haunting story of young Jeffrey Dahmer -- the shy adolescent in high school who becomes a notorious serial killer years later.

Director: Marc Meyers
Executive Producer: Giorgio Angelini, Mike Novogratz
Screenwriter: Marc Meyers
Distributor: FilmRise
Production Co: Ibid Filmworks, Attic Light Films, Aperture Entertainment
Rating: R (Disturbing Images|Brief Nudity|Teen Drug Use|Drinking|Language|Sexual Content)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 6, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.3M

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