Upcoming Netflix series 'Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes' ensures victims' stories are told responsibly
Finished watching Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story but want to learn more about this notorious serial killer's story? Netflix is dropping a new docu-series titled Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes on Oct. 7.
Ryan Murphy's Monster became embroiled in controversy as some viewers found the show to be profiting from the trauma of the victims' families without their consent. Rita Isbell, the sister of victim Errol Lindsey, wrote a personal essay for Insider about how she was "bothered" by the limited series and that she wasn't contacted about it. It also came under fire for its racist set environment.
I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need? https://t.co/CRQjXWAvjx
— eric perry. (@ericthulhu) September 22, 2022
Joe Berlinger's take on the Milwaukee Cannibal's story, however, takes a more victim-sensitive approach.
"These kinds of shows do tend to provoke a lot of reactions. For me, I find I have an extra responsibility to make sure I’m victim sensitive and I think (Conversations with a Killer) is victim sensitive," the director told Cleveland.com.
"It’s important to warn the next generation that these things happen, which was the whole inciting reason why I started this series with Bundy. These three serial killers in particular—Bundy, Gacy, and Dahmer—epitomize a certain era where policing was neglectful of marginalized communities and allowed these people to kind of flourish."
Conversations with a Killer includes archival interviews of Dahmer where he confessed to his gruesome crimes. Previous installments of the series focused on notorious serial killers Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy.
No relatives of victims were interviewed for the docuseries, but it does talk to reporter James Causey, who examines the racial dynamics that allowed Dahmer to get away with murder until his arrest. It also features lawyer Wendy Patrickus, who worked closely with Dahmer.
The true crime docuseries premieres on Netflix on Oct. 7.