It works, though, and a lot of that has to do with Lynch’s central performance. This is a risky take on already-troublesome subject matter, and if mishandled this could have been disastrous. If he had taken this character too far in any direction–either over-the-top scary or too cuddly/goofy-it could have rendered the film into something in poor taste, but instead Lynch’s Dahmer is a screen presence that initially charms you before getting deeply under your skin. First of all, he looks a great deal like Dahmer at this age, and beyond that he exhibits tight control as an actor, layers of multifaceted torment lying just beneath his often-neutral facial expressions.
Jeff is also struggling with his homosexuality in an environment where it’s not even acceptable to talk about things like that.Ī Disney star as a serial killer might sound like a casting stunt, but Lynch is inspired in the role. These guys form the Dahmer Fan Club, and My Friend Dahmer isn’t afraid to show how cruel kids can be, even when their behavior can be blamed more on immaturity than malice. Jeffrey finally makes some school acquaintances who ultimately do more harm than good when his jittery, spastic acting out amuses a trio of band nerds led by Derf Backderf (yes, he wrote the fact-based graphic novel 30 years later), played with amiable authenticity by Alex Wolff. Dallas Roberts plays Jeff’s well-meaning but usually way-off-the-mark father, while Anne Heche does her best big screen work in years in a convincing portrait of mental illness as Jeff’s frantic, pill-popping and often downright vicious mother.Įxclusive: Anne Heche Shares Her Thoughts on My Friend Dahmer and The Brave
His parents are in the midst of a nasty and loud divorce. We don’t see any of that here. Lynch plays Jeffrey at 17, a lonely and disturbed high school outcast in his senior year with an abysmal home life. Between 19, Jeffrey Dahmer murdered at least 17 men and boys before he was captured by police and killed by a fellow inmate shortly into his incarceration.