been a fan of BuzzFeed Unsolved: The True Crime— A comedy web series that explores unsolved crimes and supernatural horrors — Since 2016, I’ve taken the next step and joined many crime TV shows and documentaries on the rise.
But after watching the new Netflix exclusive series DAHMER – Monsters: The Jeffrey Dahmer StoryI began questioning the factual accuracy, or lack thereof, of popular genre media.
Dahmer became the second most-watched show in English since its release on September 21. The show is rooted in Dahmer’s past trauma and childhood, and appears to justify his actions.
The series celebrates Dahmer (Evan Peters), a notorious serial killer, cannibal and necrophiliac.
Seeing a slice of Dahmer’s humanity may make viewers want to sympathize with the murderer, but some may sympathize with the victim’s family and feel outraged by the direction this series is taking.
Mass media criticized DahmerConsidering there was no consultation with the victims’ families prior to the series’ release and how it exploited their stories.
Episode 8 tells the emotional and complex story of Tony Hughes, one of Dahmer’s victims, but according to his mother, it’s not faithful to real events and is an invasion of privacy.
“I don’t know how they can use our name to put something like that out there,” Shirley Hughes said in an interview. Guardian.
Similarly, the Ted Bundy biopic very wicked, amazingly wicked and despicable Cast former Disney idol Zac Efron as the infamous killer. Casting has helped romanticize serial killers like Bundy, and the star of many crime series has drawn large audiences with his powers.
After reading DAHMER, I was left wondering about the representation of both murderers and victims in true crime media. How does the entertainment industry keep viewers engaged while misrepresenting the stories of the victims while portraying romantic images of murderers and their crimes?
It just doesn’t feel right to watch the show for pure entertainment when you know the victim’s family is reliving the trauma.
Of course, I’m not against all movies and shows about serial killers.the film ZodiacStarring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr., for example, puts Zodiac Killer into a fun and profitable spin. Part of the reason for its success and surprising reviews is that the case remains unsolved.
With the Zodiac Killer’s specific identity unknown, his or her crimes become less personal and intimate. This may have given producers the freedom to recreate the crime without ethical pressure.
Watching true crime documentaries is more appealing to me when they are committed to the truth.
3-part documentary series on Netflix Conversation with Killer Delve into the lives of three serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and Ted Bundy. The series shares unheard-of tapes of interrogations and in-depth interviews with close associates of the perpetrators, making it feel closer to the truth than many series in its genre.
One of the most famous serial killer documentaries is Night Stalker: Chasing a Serial Killer, A poignant limited series about the case of Richard Ramirez. follows a similar structure to Conversation with KillerHowever, the viewer follows the case with two detectives.
I prefer the documentary format of a detective’s step-by-step analysis and investigation to a dramatic reenactment of the legacy of a brutal murder. As I watched, I found myself intrigued by the details of Ramirez’s case and trying to solve a crime along the way.
I believe the stories of serial killers and true crimes should not be put on hold to prevent the unheard-of stories of their victims from being lost to history. productions often manipulate their stories, veering away from the ethical path of sharing their stories.
So rather than half-heartedly watching a romantic version of a true crime show, you get to interrogate every show you watch with a detective hat on.
It is this obsession with accuracy and precision that makes true crime such a complete and solid form of entertainment.
