'Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' Cast, and Why I Think Evan Peters Nailed It Best
Exploring Netflix’s shocking take on Jeffrey Dahmer’s life.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is one of Netflix’s most talked-about true-crime dramas. Premiering in September 2022, it quickly stirred debate for its chilling look at the infamous serial killer.
I think what makes it different is Ryan Murphy’s choice to show the crimes through the eyes of victims and the system that failed them.
About the Series
The show recounts Jeffrey Dahmer’s murders of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. Across ten episodes, it focuses less on sensational details and more on themes of racism, homophobia, and police negligence that let Dahmer keep killing.
Cast Highlights
Evan Peters leads as Dahmer, giving what I’d call his most unsettling performance yet. I first knew him from American Horror Story, also created by Ryan Murphy, and it’s interesting that their long creative bond seems to reach a new level here.
Niecy Nash-Betts is unforgettable as Glenda Cleveland, the neighbor who tried to stop Dahmer, while Richard Jenkins and Molly Ringwald play his father and stepmother.
What About Ross Lynch?
Many still search Ross Lynch with Dahmer’s name because he played a teenage version in the 2017 indie My Friend Dahmer. But he is not in the Netflix series. Peters embodies the adult Dahmer, and for me, his portrayal carries a weight that makes it the definitive one.
