The Jeffrey Dahmer Files

The Jeffrey Dahmer Files (2012)

*** (out of 4)

Good, if at times uneven, documentary taking a look at three people who were close to Jeffrey Dahmer at the time he was arrested for what turned out to be one of the most shocking crimes in American history. This documentary features interviews with the neighbor Pamela Bass, the medical examiner Jeffrey Jentzen and most interesting is Pat Kennedy, the detective who talked with Dahmer after his arrest and got the confession. The film also has actor Andrew Swant playing Dahmer during a few scenes as we see him on a day-to-day basis as he carries out certain acts of his crimes. THE JEFFREY DAHMER FILES isn't your typical documentary and perhaps that's a good thing. I will admit that at first it was a little strange seeing how the film went back and forth between the documentary aspect and the docu-drama but once you got comfortable with it the film flowed much better. At just 76-minutes the thing never wears out its welcome and in fact I think that a longer running time probably would have helped matters as there are all sorts of questions that aren't answered. I think the highlights of the film involve the detective as he gives a first-hand account of how Dahmer was acting after being arrested and what it finally took for him to realize that his days were over as a free man and that he might as well start talking. I thought the relationship the two men formed was quite interesting and these stories are certainly the best in the film. The neighbor aspect wasn't nearly as interesting but she does answer a few good questions like what it was like having someone like this murdering people just feet away from her.

Jeff had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film paints an intriguing, even provocative, portrait on a man whose actions place him among pantheon of the most evil figures of our times alongside the Nazis in our collective memory. The use of interviews with a neighbor, a police investigator and a medical examiner paints a compelling picture of the events surrounding the arrest and prosecution of Jeffrey Dahmer. They also show us how the revelation of his crimes affected those around him. The interviews paint a powerful picture and deliver a solid portrait of the serial killer that provides us with interesting insights into Dahmer's twisted mind and personality.

However, the other aspect of Jeff is more problematic. The director felt the need to supplemental the interviews by recreating everyday aspects of Dahmer's life using actors to show bits and pieces of his daily life as he shops for stuff that he'll need to carry out his vicious crimes. These scenes present the absolute ordinariness and in-distinctiveness of Dahmer. The phrase that kept going through my mind was Hannah Arendt's famous phrase "the banality of evil" which she used to describe Adolf Eichmann during his Israeli war crimes trial. The director and writers seem to be trying to do something similar in this film. The problem is that in so doing they are taking the dangerous step of merging fact and fiction. It is unclear whether they are attempting to recreate actual events or just imagine how Dahmer might have behaved based on their own speculations. The line between reality and imagination has becomes very blurry when you mix documentation with dramatization.

If what you're looking for is a slasher movie, The Jeffrey Dahmer Files is not for you. Director Chris Thompson is not interested in showing you actual scenes of blood, severed heads, or other grizzly images. If that's what you're into, you won't like this movie.

If what you're looking for is a smart, insightful, and unique look at three people who's lives were forever changed by Dahmer's deeds, this is the ticket. Pat Kennedy, the detective handling Dahmer's case, Jeffrey Jentzen, the medical examiner called in to deal with the bodily remains, and Pamela Bass, a neighbor who had befriended Dahmer tell their incredible stories with chilling detail. Thompson is a brilliant interviewer knowing just what questions to ask of these three unique individuals who have never been asked what their personal experiences were, instead having been barraged with questions about the gory details they witnessed only for purpose of media sensationalization. In Thompson's film they are allowed to spill their guts which is a chilling experience for the viewer.

Throughout the film, the intense testimonies of Kennedy, Jentzen and Bass are intersected with short docudramas of Dahmer going through his daily life being played by Andrew Swant. At first these seemed a bit amateur and even annoying, but with time they gave this viewer a moment to catch her breath - much needed after the chest-tightening details of Dahmer's murders. Swant plays Dahmer as the seemingly dull and uninteresting man he actually was which seems so contrary to the horrific actions taken behind his apartment door. You will witness Dahmer buying fish at an aquarium, a large blue barrel and taking it home on a bus, and bleach at a grocery store, all in a sort of daze. Of course we know what he will use the barrel and bleach for and we would expect Dahmer to be creepy. But instead he looks like a regular guy who is somewhat slow and disinterested in the world. After a couple of these dramas I began to relax and enjoy the break they provided.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in personal stories of people experiencing something none of us are every likely to experience. Kennedy, Jentzen, and Bass will walk you through their harrowing personal life-changing experiences of knowing Jeffrey Dahmer.

Thompson's story will leave you with lot's to think and talk about. Can't recommend it enough.

Experimental Jeffrey Dahmer documentary which actually focuses more on the Milwaukeeans during and after his hidden spree. The reenactments are beautifully shot; and Andrew Swant (also the film's co-writer) slides into the monster's skin so smoothly, ultimately humanizing Dahmer without becoming charming or remotely likable. Unfortunately, the three interviewees are not overly appealing, and you can't help but remember that there are many more interesting people who had a thing or two to say about Dahmer. Archival footage included, but is used somewhat minimally. Originally premiered simply as JEFF and was later changed to THE JEFFREY DAHMER FILES when picked up by IFC.

**½ (out of four)

This starts off very slow to the point that I almost turned it off after a few minutes. However, when I saw that one of the speakers was the lead investigator on the Dahmer case, I continued to watch for a little while longer. And it was then that the documentary got interesting. This short movie follows the story of the lead investigator who interrogated Dahmer during his confession and how he corroborated with forensic investigators to determine just how many people Dahmer had killed. The deceive's and forensic's stories are good. The other chunk of the documentary interviews Dahmer's neighbor and a few others who knew him and their experience during his arrest. Although it offers another story/point of view to the case, it ultimately was not needed and made the picture feel slow and lackluster. The final chunk follows an actor playing the role of Dahmer just shopping and walking around so just reenacting his everyday life. This was absolutely a waste of footage and time. More footage of the Dahmer case would have been better to show in it's place.