Dahmer (film)

Dahmer
Official logo
Directed by	David Jacobson
Produced by	Larry Ratner
Written by	David Jacobson
Starring	Jeremy Renner Bruce Davison Artel Kayàru Matt Newton
Music by	Christina Agamanolis Mariana Bernoski Willow Williamson
Cinematography	Chris Manley
Editing by	Bipasha Shom
Studio	Blockbuster Films DEJ Productions Two Left Shoes Films
Distributed by	Peninsula Films
Release date(s)	June 21, 2002 (2002-06-21)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$250,000
Box office	$144,008

Dahmer is a 2002 American biopic about the American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeremy Renner stars in the title role.

There are two timelines in the film: The "present" of the film runs in ordinary chronological order covering the period of one-to-two days; the flashbacks go in reverse order, so that Dahmer is seen as successively younger until the movie arrives at his first murder and its aftermath.

Plot

During his murder spree, Jeffrey Dahmer (Jeremy Renner) conducts sadistic experiments on his victims before he murders them. He killed 17 men in this way in Bath, Ohio and the metropolitan area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At the same time, he rationalizes his crimes with the divorce of his parents and his emotionally isolated childhood. Nevertheless, he can't stop inviting more and more young men from bars and clubs to his home, where he kills them. Only when the young Rodney (Artel Kayàru) escapes from Dahmer's apartment are the authorities able to arrest him.

Cast

The real-life counterpart to the fictional victim is in parentheses

• Jeremy Renner as Jeffrey Dahmer
• Bruce Davison as Lionel Dahmer
• Artel Kayàru as Rodney (Tracy Edwards)
• Matt Newton as Lance Bell (Stephen Hicks)
• Dion Basco as Khamtay (Konerak Sinthasomphone)
• Kate Williamson as Grandma
• Christian Payano as Letitia
• Tom'ya Bowden as Shawna
• Sean Blakemore as Corliss

Production

Although the script recreates actual events, the names are changed out of respect for Dahmer's victims. In reality, the escapee who led to Dahmer's capture was Tracy Edwards, portrayed by Artel Kayàru as Rodney, and Dahmer's first victim was a man named Stephen Hicks, portrayed in the film by Matt Newton as Lance Bell.

Production took place in Los Angeles and one scene in Milwaukee. The mask special effects were created by Christien Tinsley and Kelley Mitchell, who were involved two years later in the makeup of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.

Reception

Dahmer currently holds a 68% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Legacy

In the DVD commentary track for The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow said that she cast Renner in the lead role because of his performance in Dahmer.

Awards

• Independent Spirit Award - Jeremy Renner (Best Male Actor in a Leading Role) (nominated)
• Independent Spirit Award - Artel Kayàru (Best Newcomer) (nominated)
• John Cassavetes Award - Larry Ratner and David Jacobson (nominated)

External links

• Dahmer at the Internet Movie Database
• Dahmer at Box Office Mojo
• Dahmer at Rotten Tomatoes