David not only appeared more in the film, it actually showed the usually stoic Jeffrey being loving and incredibly protective of his little brother from his parents constant bickering.Īt Revere High School, Dahmer was known for being a little off but he was almost normal in comparison to a character called Lloyd Figg, a student in Dahmer and Backderf’s class that clearly showed signs of being mentally disturbed.
The movie completely flips the notion of the absent father, showing Lionel to be much more involved with his son despite complications at one point in the film, Lionel even goes on a rampage, destroying the shack in the woods where Jeffrey would kill animals to dissolve their bones in acid, pleading with his son to do something, anything else so he would seem more normal. With his parents’ divorce it was no surprise the few ‘friends’ he had over his house never saw much of Lionel. He certainly had a big role in Jeff’s life, but I didn’t witness it.“Īs for Lionel, it wasn’t a secret that he and his wife Joyce had many problems. He was just a kid and went beneath my notice. Backderf himself even noted that “.His younger brother, Dave, was nearly seven years younger than him. And the kicker? In the film, he appeared to strive in all of them.ĭahmer’s father, Lionel, and younger brother, David, were only seen a handful of times throughout the entire book. He had other activities that he engaged in after school (you know, other than killing small animals) such as tennis, track and field and the school’s marching band. Sure, he still didn’t have any friends but he wasn’t in total isolation either. However the movie portrayed him to be much more social. In the novel, it’s plainly stated how much of a loner Dahmer was, he rarely interacted with other kids his own age before his senior year and often spent time alone. So I thought it would be fun to explore the biggest changes I noticed. But I couldn’t help having a “this didn’t happen in the book” moment. Its restraint, though, is admirable, resulting in a mood-piece with an ongoing sense of unease.” ~Empire
In 2017 My Friend Dahmer was brought to the big screen by writer and director Marc Meyers. Starring former Disney star, Ross Lynch, the film quickly started quite the buzz among true crime fans with some reviews calling the film “ A small, slight window into a mixed-up soul, this is more intriguing than engaging. It follows the acquaintanceship Backderf and his group of friends developed with a younger Jeffrey Dahmer, his odd-sometimes humorous- habits and how his broken home life may have played a small part in what he would become in the future. The book was released in 2012 though Backderf confessed to beginning work on the novel as early as 2002, eight years after Dahmer’s death in prison.
A rich, complex film that humanises Dahmer even as it intelligently refuses to minimise his incipient monstrousness, it’s enhanced hugely by a star-making performance by Lynch in the title role.My Friend Dahmeris a graphic novel and memoir written by John “Derf” Backderf, a former classmate of the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Released in the States to an admiring critical reception, Meyers’ film opens a window into the formative years of a serial killer in an enlightening, original and highly disturbing take on a typical coming-of-age story. But their camaraderie can’t mask Jeff’s growing depravity and as he approaches graduation, he spirals further out of control, inching ever closer to madness. Beginning to act out at school, his goofball antics win over a group of band-nerds who form ‘The Dahmer Fan Club’, headed by Derf Backderf (Alex Wolff). He collects roadkill and fixates on a neighbourhood jogger (Vincent Kartheiser of TV’s Mad Men) while trying to cope with his unstable mother (Anne Heche) and well-intentioned father (Dallas Roberts). Jeff Dahmer (Ross Lynch) is an awkward Ohio teenager whose family life is in ruins. It’s fascinatingly based on a 2012 graphic novel by cartoonist John Backderf who was a school friend of Dahmer’s in the ’70s, shortly before he started to kill. Marc Meyers’ ( How He Fell in Love) drama offers a prequel to the bloodshed. One of the world’s most infamous and chillingly depraved serial killers, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered 17 men and boys in the American Midwest between 19 before being captured and incarcerated. Ross Lynch, Alex Wolff, Dallas Roberts, Anne Heche