Netflix’s controversialDahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Storyhas been rated as highly accurate in its depiction of the infamous serial “Milwaukee Cannibal” killer by a crime expert. Created byAmerican Horror Story’s Ryan Murphy, the miniseries stars Evan Peters as the titular killer. One of the most-watched series on Netflix,Dahmeroffered a dramatized peek into the killer’s life, including his eventual capture, while portraying some of the systemic failures that allowed Dahmer to evade justice for years. Despite its popularity,Dahmerhas sparked controversy among families of the victims for sensationalizing the tragedies and potentially retraumatizing them.
OnInsider’sHow Real Is It?series,former homicide detective Pat Postiglione assesses the depiction of Dahmer’s crimesin the true crime show,rating it a perfect 10 out of 10 for realism.He specifically reviewed a scene ofDahmerin which detectives search the killer’s apartment and find a collection of bones in his bedroom and body parts in his freezer. Here’s what he had to say:
In some cases, [Dahmer] would keep the bodies, he would behead them, he would keep body parts inside of his refrigerator, and apparently had been, at some point, possibly even eating some of his victims, and really just beyond the imagination, couldn’t even think of, he was involved in. It appearsto be an accurate depiction of Jeffery Dahmer’s crimesand also how they approached the crime scene.
They were doing the same thing. They were in the suspect’s apartment, but at the same time, it was also the‘killing field’where he was killing a lot of his victims. So it was kind of a two-fold thing. Suspect lived here. He also did some of his killings here.
Postiglione’s breakdown of theDahmerscene not only validates the authenticity of the series but reflects the sheer horror of Dahmer’s crimes. As investigators came upon bones, frozen hearts, and vats of unmarked chemicals, the detective said the following:
When you find just bones, it’s a little more difficult. You hope to find some marking on the bones that’ll indicate a gunshot wound, indicate a strike mark, a stab wound, or anything along those lines. It’s more difficult when you find just bones. But when you find bones in someone’s refrigerator or a bunch of bones inside of a vat full of some sort of a chemical you can be rest assured that that victim was murdered.
Ultimately, Postiglione gave this scene from Ryan Murphy’s crime miniseries a perfect score, saying:
It looks like something that we would’ve done pretty much the same way they were doing it in detail, great detail.
What The Accuracy Of Netflix’s Dahmer Means
Murphy’s Saga Realistically Captured The Crimes
What setDahmerapart from other true crime series wasits laser-sharp focus on systemic racism within the Milwaukee Police Department, which allowed Dahmer, a white, blue-eyed man, to repeatedly evade suspicion and continue preying on primarily Black and queer victims. By emphasizing certain moments in key episodes—such as officers leavingTony Hughes in Dahmer’s custody—the series highlighted how institutional bias gave Dahmer ample opportunity to murder so many Black and brown men as a broader critique of American policing and societal injustice.
Monster: What Happened To The Police Officers Who Returned Dahmer’s Victim
Monster - The Jeffrey Dahmer Story shows police officers return a young teen to the serial killer. Here’s what happened to the officers.
WhileDahmerdoes not shy away from Jeffrey Dahmer’s gruesome crimeswith haunting accuracy, it omits certain aspects of his childhood and his infamous apartment. Murphy had aimed to center the experiences of victims and survivors rather than solely focus on Dahmer’s life. Despite this intention, the series faced significant backlash, with some family members of Dahmer’s victims criticizing Netflix for not consulting them beforehand or compensating them.True crime dramas often walk a fine line between shedding light on injustice and retraumatizing those directly affected by the crimes, where their pain becomes the center of entertainment.
Our Take On Netflix’s Dahmer Accuracy
True Crime Storytelling Walks A Fine Line
The public’s fascination with true crime often lies in the desire to understand the worst parts of humanity. While dramatized accounts likeDahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Storycan offer an accurate portrayal of the killer, they can also inadvertently glamorize someone like Dahmer or retraumatize survivors they set out to empower in the first place. Dramatized series—no matter how accurate—risk prioritizing shock value over genuine storytelling, especially when families of victims and survivors aren’t consulted nor compensated. Withanother season ofMonsterson its way, Murphy has hopefully learned to tread carefully.
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Cast
Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story is another limited crime drama biography series created by Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy, starring Evan Peters in the titular role. This series tells the story of Jeffrey Dahmer from the perspective of surviving victims while exploring the missteps taken by the police that allowed Dahmer to continue his three-decade-long killing spree, leading to the murder of at least seventeen young men. In addition, the show covers the earlier years of Dahmer’s life, including the difficult divorce between his parents, his murderous origins back in high school, and his demise in prison.
