After its launch, this week, Ryan Murphy and Netflix’s new series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been met with lukewarm reviews and criticism from the family of one of Dahmer’s victims.
Regular Murphy cast member Evan Peters gives a chilling performance as the serial murderer, but the show spends far too much time on his atrocities. Dahmer was slain in prison in 1994, after being captured in Milwaukee in 1991 for the deaths of several young men and boys. The trial that took place in 1992 is depicted in the series, and one authentic scenario involves Rita Isbell, the older sister of Errol Lindsey’s victim.
On Thursday, Isbell’s cousin, a Twitter user named Eric, posted about the show and referenced that exact scene. I realize true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re truly curious about the victims, my family the Isbells are upset about this show, Eric wrote. Again and again, it retraumatizes, and for what? We need how many films/television programs/documentaries?
In addition to the documentary The Jeffrey Dahmer Files from 2012 and the 2002 film Dahmer, in which Jeremy Renner portrayed the title role, there has also been a 2017 film based on Dahmer, titled My Friend Dahmer. Ryan Murphy is practically synonymous with exploitation, and we don’t need any more of his Dahmer series.
However, more and more families of murder victims are speaking out against movies and programs they feel are exploitative, and true crime programming is currently receiving far more scrutiny than it once did.
To clear up any confusion, Eric also addressed whether or not the family was contacted about the show. To address the primary inquiry, no, they do not inform families of this action. Since this information is already out in the open, no one needs to be notified or compensated. My loved ones learned about it at the same time as everyone else.
People are also criticizing Milwaukee police officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish for returning Dahmer’s 14-year-old victim Konerak Sinthasomphone to him after he escaped from his residence. As a result, the youngster was brutally killed. Balcerzak rose through the ranks to become the association’s president in Milwaukee.
We DM’d Eric on Twitter to get his thoughts.