La vie secrète de Jeffrey Dahmer

This is a tough film to review, since several factors need to be taken into account. Let's filter the more judgmental..Ok, are you interested in the facts concerning the serial killer of Jeffrey Dahmer? Can you withstand an independent, low-budget film? Are you objective enough to NOT dislike a film solely due to its lack of stars or professional look? Well, if you said yes then you should have a mind open enough to handle this one. This film is an almost 100% accurate dramatization of Dahmer's adult life and subsequent murder spree, and is styled as an autobiography. It isn't a glamorized, unrealistic account that unfortunately the theatrical film "Dahmer" (2001) was. The movie begins with Dahmer, played quite convincingly by Carl Crew, sitting in the police car as they raid his apartment. His thoughts of what got him there are presented to us in a past-tense, narrated style that accurately explains much of Dahmer's psychoses and motives which led him to commit murder almost 20 times. We get to know the character, both the devious side as well as the side that came moderately close to living a normal life. It isn't anyone's fault but Dahmer's that 17 people died, but being a criminal psychology student, I was pleased to more than just his animalistic side represented, truthfully, in this film. You see him having a loving relationship with his grandmother as well as trying to find companionship, but of course we witness the side of him that everyone remembers. It should be noted that there is little actual onscreen violence, with much of it suggestive in shots such as spattering of blood or a body being struck through a blurred curtain. You do see two deaths that I remember, one being a pretty bloodless throat slash and the other being a man shoved alive into a barrel of acid. While you don't see anything graphic, this cruelty and the convincing acting of both Crew and his victim make this a disturbing scene. And while the actual onscreen mutilation is kept low, you will see the results. There is a prop hand and head or two, but it seems as if this was to disturb the viewer and doesn't look to be exploitive. Besides, these fake anatomical pieces are where the budget limitations are visible. Although acceptable, they look enough like fakes to not be too disturbing. The film actually concludes before Dahmer's death in 1994, due to the fact that it was released a year or two prior. That's about the only big difference from the real story, and the information that remains is, as I've stated, very true to the facts. The film quality could be better, the dialogue often sounds a little too quiet, and the acting of several characters IS a bit hammy, but it's not overboard. In my opinion, this is a flawed but ultimately honest and serious look into one of America's most remembered serial killers. I think it's safe to say the film is memorable as well, and I respect it for overcoming its limitations to deliver the story in a believable manner, aided by a thoroughly excellent Carl Crew as Dahmer.

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)

"The Secret Life" starts with the worst possible narrative intro: "The crimes committed by Jeffrey Dahmer are too horrible to make a film about...". Okay, so what are you suggesting? That we shouldn't bother to continue watching as the film won't be accurate or bloody, anyway? And they were right, too! The film isn't the least bit shocking and contains almost no blood or gore at all. Although I think that's mainly due to the low budget production values and not because of Dahmer's crimes being too horrific. Basically, "The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer" is just one sequence repeated over and over again. Young, pitiful and mentally confused Jeffrey picks up victims (always males, as he was a homosexual), kills them and then talks about how it wasn't his intention to hurt them and about how lonely he is. This gets boring really quick and even the admirable performance by unknown actor Carl Crew can't save this movie from being a total dud. Still, this version is much better than the pretentious and hopelessly muddled "Dahmer" that got released in 2002.

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!

This film is the most traumatising and painful horror film I have ever seen in my life. To know that this film is based on a true story and watching Jeffrey Dahmer(Carl Crew) brutally murder his victims is enough to bring a tear to my eye. I admit this was a low budget film with not the best dialogue, however it explained why Jeffrey Dahmer was a Psycotic maniac. As he was so selfishly/inwardly emotional his emotions and selfishness went so far deep into his brain that it resulted into him becoming a murderer. Every person that he lured back to his apartment, he was attracted to and had feelings for, and the reasons why he murdered them wasn't only for the thrill of killing them but because he couldn't cope with the fact of them leaving him. In the scene when he killed his first victim by bashing an object at the back of the guys head from what I noticed wasn't because he wanted to kill him but because he was devastated with the idea of the guy leaving him. It was from thereafter that he got use to the homicidal behaviour and made killing his hobby - for both evil and emotional reasons.

The scene when he was talking while crying on the phone with his mother and telling her how much he loved her and the love he showed to his grandmother and how he didn't want to move out of her house did show that he did have love in his heart. One scene that I found quite spooky and strange was when a priest overheard Jeffrey in a pub inviting a guy back to his apartment and then phoned Jeffrey up in a phone booth within the pub so that the guy would lose patience and change his mind on going home with Jeffrey. When the guy left the pub, the priest then hung up the phone and was was laughing at Jeffrey. I also found that Carl Crew played a remarkable acting performance as the role of Jeffrey Dahmer. His evil and cold blooded facial expressions before he massacred his victims were so real, I was shivering in my seat. His facial expressions reminded me of the way Vincent D'onofrio (Private Pyle/Leonard) in the film 'Full Metal Jacket' looked just before he gunned-down the General in the toilet barracks.

If your an emotional person I wouldn't recommend you to watch this film but if your not, than go ahead and watch it.