Dahmer (2002)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

David Jacobson

Writer:

David Jacobson (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 2003 (Sweden)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The mind is a place of its own.

Plot:

Based on the true crime story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, this movie tells the emotionally riveting story of a man who turned his darkest fantasies into a horrifying reality. |

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Grandmother Grandson Relationship | Dumb Bell | Red Light | Clothing Store

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Jeremy Renner	...	Jeffrey Dahmer
Bruce Davison	...	Lionel Dahmer
Artel Great	...	Rodney (as Artel Kayàru)
Matt Newton	...	Lance Bell
Dion Basco	...	Khamtay
Kate Williamson	...	Grandma
Christina Payano	...	Letitia
Tom'ya Bowden	...	Shawna
Sean Blakemore	...	Corliss
Mickey Swenson	...	Officer Phillips
Julius Branca	...	Officer Powell
Pierson Blaetz	...	Officer Martin
Vincent Zangari	...	Ohio Officer
Xavier Lawrence	...	Young Man in Bar
David Manis	...	Shop Steward

Also Known As:

The Mind Is a Place of Its Own (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for aberrant violence, sexuality, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Australia:R | Canada:18A | Germany:18 | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38948)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Blockbuster Films

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Dahmer gets pulled over by the cop in 1978, he shows a New York State driver's license from post 1995.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Title Card: On February 15, 1992 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was convicted of 15 counts of murder and sentenced to 937 years of federal prison. The following story was inspired by events from his life. Certain characters and events are fictional.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Love Payback

A little Dahmer in all of us.

I found Dahmer to be an interesting exploration into the mind of a serial killer. Light on exposition(flashbacks aside), it allows the viewer to fill in the gaps as to Dahmer's motivation. I think Jeremy Renner did a terrific job portraying Dahmer as a soft-spoken misfit and outsider who's just looking for love. David Jacobson explores the duality of Dahmer effectively and subtlely, as when Dahmer watches people having sex with a mixture of detachment and disdain,and then seeks out his own sexual liaisons with disastrous results. He is so full of self-loathing and shame that he must first drug, then kill his victims to avoid facing the rejection he is sure will happen. When he finally meets Artel Kayaru as Rodney, he has met his alter-ego...someone carefree and uninhibited and it's apparent Dahmer is experiencing conflicting emotions and perhaps some kind of revelation. But it's too late to save him. Low on gore and violence, which was refreshing. Cinematography was first-rate. Locations were depressingly banal and middle America, settings which seem to breed the most monstrous impulses. A lowkey and worthwhile look into the results of unchecked fear rage and shame, and an invitation to explore the little Dahmer in all of us.