It would appear that Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is touching a nerve with viewers of the streaming service Netflix.
Within a span of just two weeks, the Ryan Murphy-created show about one of the most infamous American cannibal serial killers has climbed its way up to the ninth spot on Netflix’s list of the most popular English-language TV series of all time. This achievement was accomplished despite the show’s subject matter.
According to Variety, there are at least 56 million households that have seen all 10 episodes of the Monster television series so far, which has been viewed for a total of 496.1 million hours so far.
According to the streamer, the popularity of their shows is determined by the number of hours viewed in the first 28 days, which indicates that the show still has 16 days to climb to an even higher position on the chart.
The show, which features Evan Peters in the role of the serial killer known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, has been at the top of the English-language TV chart ever since it was the first broadcast. In addition, it is the second most watched English-language series in a single week of all time, with only the fourth season of Stranger Things being watched more frequently.
On September 21, the first episode of the series aired, and it was watched by 196.2 million people. The horrifying events that took place in Milwaukee between 1978 and 1991, when the killer was responsible for the deaths of 17 young men and boys, are recounted in this show.
It retells the story of Dahmer from the perspective of his victims and investigates the major mistakes that Wisconsin police made in handling the investigation of the infamous mass murderer, who made national headlines for acts of cannibalism and necrophilia. The book also explores the major mistakes that Wisconsin police made in handling the investigation of the notorious mass murderer.
At least ten instances in which law enforcement officials came close to apprehending Dahmer but ultimately did not, allowing the twisted crime spree to continue, are detailed in the show.
Recently, Peters admitted that playing the serial killer was difficult for him. ‘One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life’.
The actor, who is 35 years old, stated that he was scared to take on the role due to Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrific past in an interview with Netflix. He also stated that he had to go to ‘dark places’ during the filming process in order to get into the mindset of the killer.
Evan viewed the Stone Phillips interview with the real killer as part of his preparation for his role as the notorious killer. In addition, he read a number of biographies and the 1992 police report of Dahmer’s confession.
In addition, the actor listened to an audio recording of the killer speaking to a psychologist or a detective who was interviewing him. Evan stated that he was nervous about taking on the role because he recognized how important it was to give an “authentic” account in order to respect the loved ones of the victims.
He explained: ‘It was so jaw-dropping that it all really happened that it felt important to be respectful to the victims, the victims’ families, to try and tell the story as authentically as we could.’
Regarding how difficult the procedure was, he went on to say: ‘Honestly, I was very scared about all the things that he did and diving into that, and trying to commit to that was absolutely going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life because I wanted it to be very authentic.
‘But in order to do that, I was gonna have to go to really dark places and stay there for an extended period of time.’
Evan went on to credit the crew that was on set with him for keeping him stable while he explored the dark subject for the series. He said that they were responsible for keeping him stable.
He said: ‘I have to say that the crew was instrumental in keeping me on the guard rails, I cannot thank them enough and I could not have done any of this role with them…’
‘It was a challenge to try to have this person who was seemingly so normal but underneath all of it, had this entire world that he was keeping secret from everybody.’
Many people have taken to Twitter to express their disgust over the continued commercial success of the true crime genre, as well as the potentially traumatic impact it may have on survivors of the crimes depicted in these shows. This success of the series has not come without its fair share of criticism.
Viewers have also voiced their disapproval of Netflix’s decision to label the series as LGBTQ-friendly.
Many people spoke out against the streaming platform, saying that they were “gobsmacked” and “disgusted” by the choice. The streaming platform has since removed the tag.
The true crime series has also been criticized for the potentially traumatic effect it may have on people who have survived the crimes it depicts.
In an interview with Insider Sunday, Rita Isbell, who is the sister of Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey, said that Netflix never reached out to her about the series, and she described it as being harsh and careless.
‘I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it,’ she said. ‘They didn’t ask me anything. They just did it. But I’m not money hungry, and that’s what this show is about, Netflix trying to get paid.’
The show also stars Niecy Nash, Penelope Ann Miller, Shaun J. Brown, Colin Ford, and Richard Jenkins, and it was directed by Paris Barclay, Carl Franklin, and Janet Mock. In addition to Evan, the cast also includes these other actors:
Miller and Jenkins play the roles of Dahmer’s parents, and Nash portrays Dahmer’s next-door neighbor Glenda Cleveland, who attempted in vain to report his bizarre behavior to the authorities. Dahmer’s parents are played by Miller and Jenkins.
Peters has collaborated with the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, on a number of previous projects, some of which include nine out of ten seasons of the anthology series American Horror Story and the television show Pose.
In 1992, a court found Dahmer guilty of 16 murders and handed him 16 separate sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Christopher Scarver, an additional inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin, was the one who killed him with a metal bar in November of 1994. The facility is located in Wisconsin.
Both the 2002 film Dahmer, in which Jeremy Renner played the title role, and the 2017 film My Friend Dahmer, in which Ross Lynch played a teen version of the nascent serial killer, have been used to chronicle the gruesome story of Jeffrey Dahmer. Both films starred Jeremy Renner.
