La vie secrète de Jeffrey Dahmer

I bought this used and only payed $1.99 for it. That said, it's worth that kind of money. It's pretty decent for an extreme-low-budget film, but it could have been much better. To me, Carl Crew wasn't believable as Jeffrey Dahmer. He wasn't the right physical type, nor did he speak with Dahmer's distinctive nasal accent. And frankly, the constant "I should have stayed with God" diatribe becomes annoying after a while.

For a more realistic and subdued look at Dahmer's life, see the new film "Dahmer" with Jeremy Renner. Renner's performance as Jeffrey is so dead-on, it's scary. And while it doesn't get into as many of Jeffrey's killings, everyone should already know the basic story by now.

Bottom Line: If you can see this movie cheap, it's worth a look. But the 2002 movie is far superior, in my opinion.

Please allow me to, first, address comments stating how this movie was "accurate" and true to the "facts" of the case. Absolutely 💯 incorrect.

Not even close.

It jumped straight in, by him bringing the hitchhiker home and killing him while mom was sewing...???...in the house...???...as they were bench pressing ... outside the house ....?

No focus on the broken home life and absent parents that had Jeff home alone drunk all the time, nor the stalking he did of a jogger before the hitchhiker appeared, no mention of roadkill collecting he did, or his mom's addiction issues.

Then jumps straight to a hotel room - no mention of the drugging the drinks, no mention of bath houses banning him first from similar behavior.

Then, straight to Grandma with smells without explanation.

The lead actor was absolutely the OPPOSITE of Jeffrey's personality and appearance.

There was no facts at all. It was as if the writer had seen the news clips and faded in and out of consciousness while picking out parts that stuck with him and then guessing at what strung the scenes together.

The kid that was "drugged" and asking for help? Never happened. 3 women found the 14 year old child completely zombied out with a hole in his head from Jeffrey and the police believed Jeffrey when he said his "boyfriend" was just drunk and would take care of him and released him to Jeffrey - which ended his life.

There was no mention of his odd job situations, or other tenants in his apartment building.

This could not have been further from the "facts" If it was the National Enquirer, The Sun, or TMZ writing this "story".

Now, all of that being said, if you love rifftrax, (mst3k), you may dig this in the same way.... get some friends together and riff the movie together because it IS a GOLDMINE of sloppy storytelling, awful acting, and hilarious scene cuts. 😆

If you suspend reality and pretend it's not a movie about Jeffrey Dahmer (won't be hard since it's obviously not), and watch it the way you watch "cute little buggars" or "velocipastor", and have some beer, and maybe some weed and laugh, you will enjoy this film, and all it's awfulness. I do.

But no... don't listen to the reviews stating this is facts, because it couldn't be further from the facts. And low budget doesn't explain the awful writing and acting. But it's GREAT for laughs!

Considering the type of films one usually comes across produced on this low of a budget, Dahmer "The Secret Life", is suprisingly well made. Despite it's shortcomings;tedious scripting and dialouge, sub-par cinematography, and repetative scene structure-(i.e. two or three run-throughs of Dahmer's modus operendii would have been more than sufficient.) definate high points do shine through. Carl Crew's acting job held my interest till the end. Special make-up effects were better than I've seen on alot of "Big Budget" movies. The producers seem to have spent most of the limited funds where it counts most anyway. Overall, I'd rate this movie with three out of a possible four stars.

The Secret Life of Jeffrey Dahmer is a necessary movie. Carl Crew's acting is excellent, especially under the circumstances of a film made from documentary information, about this dull boy, who really has no life at all (within himself, at least). Carl gives the whole as extremely factual, near to the bone but not over-gory, and with emotion too. Although Jeff was known for not being the coolest of guys, and Carl portrayed Jeff in this film to be a teeny bit hip in parts - this was really pretty irrelevant. What was relevant was the facts of Jeff's life, purely! His childhood included, the whole of his years of killing, and the abandonment Jeff felt so often..unbias, nothing blamed. And if anyone was to think that Carl Crew may have 'strange notions' to do the film, he has just gone one step further than those who have written the Dahmer (et al) books, who have gone just one step further than all of the millions of people in the world who study criminology, psychology law etc etc etc. Excellent Film.

The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer is slightly interesting, but it goes around in circles too much. It never really taps into his mind, or shows why he is, what he is. It just shows Dahmer luring countless victims, and that's it. The special they did on Dahmer on the show Mugshots, was much more informational and interesting. Overall, slightly interesting, but the special they did on the show Mugshots, is far better. ** (out of four)