In the docuseries Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, filmmaker Joe Berlinger dives into the disturbed psyche of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Featuring audio of Dahmer himself, it is not for the faint of heart: The series recounts — in graphic detail — Dahmer’s countless crimes against boys and young men, including sexual violence, drugging, sexual solicitation, homicide, dismemberment, cannibalism and necrophilia. In delving into the details of the gruesome crimes, Berlinger explores the time and place in which they occurred: Milwaukee during the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the ’80s and ’90s, when rampant homophobia and racism led to young white men like Dahmer getting away with murder.
Watch the Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes trailer below.
Dahmer was a serial killer from Milwaukee who primarily targeted young men, several of whom were underage and people of color. From 1978 to 1991, he murdered 17 people before he was caught and charged. To learn more about him, read this guide.
In the summer of 1991, young defense attorney Wendy Patrickus received a call from her boss, lawyer Gerard Boyle. The two would be working on Dahmer’s case. From July to October of that year, Patrickus sat down with Dahmer in preparation for his defense, recording over 32 hours of their conversations. These recordings were never released until Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes. Patrickus — and a number of interviewees involved in both the defense and prosecution — discuss Dahmer, his mental state, his victims and reflect on the slayings over 30 years after his arrest.
The docuseries looks at Dahmer’s life and crimes, from his volatile upbringing and antisocial behavior to his isolated life as a young gay man in the Midwest. Each episode, featuring previously unreleased audio, analyzes the social and psychological aspects of Dahmer’s behavior — shedding light on why he was able to keep up his crime spree for so long without detection.
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes is available to stream Oct. 7.
Berlinger’s previous installments include Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes and Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. In covering the serial killers’ grisly crimes, Berlinger brings the full scope of the investigations to the forefront to portray the cultural, political and psychological aspects of when they took place — including why these criminals evaded the law for as long as they did. For more on Berlinger, here’s an interview with the director on how he balances reporting on the psyche of serial killers like John Wayne Gacy while not giving credence to their disturbing worldview.
Ryan Murphy’s Netflix true-crime drama series about the serial killer, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was released Sept. 23.
