The co-creator of Netflix’s “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” disagreed that the show was “sympathetic” to the man labeled the “Milwaukee Cannibal.”
The Netflix limited thriller series depicts the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who was known for committing murder and other heinous acts, including necrophilia and cannibalism, between 1978 and 1991.
“I think we show a human being,” co-creator Ian Brennan explained to Page Six during the premiere of his new Netflix series “The Watcher.” He’s monstrously human, and he’s monstrously monstrous and that’s what we wanted to sort of unpack.
“We tried to show an objective portrait as possible,” he noted. “We did our homework.”
The Netflix series, created by Brennan and Ryan Murphy, stars Evan Peters. “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” became Netflix’s second most popular show shortly after its release Sept. 21.
Brennan explained that he isn’t sure why the show has blown up the way it has.
“I’ve been asking myself that same question,” he told the outlet. “It’s interesting when horrific stories like that resonate with people. I think it’s a way for people to approach scary things about themselves, watch it (being) portrayed on the screen.”
Dahmer’s murders have made headlines again after Netflix released the series.
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The series itself received backlash as there is renewed interest in the murders committed by Dahmer.
“I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show,” Eric Perry, the cousin of Dahmer’s victim Errol Lindsey, posted on Twitter. “It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?”
The mother of Anthony Hughes, another of Dahmer’s victims, recently claimed the way her son’s death was portrayed and the aftermath that followed in the show “didn’t happen.”
“I don’t see how they can do that,” Shirley Hughes told The Guardian. “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.”
Dahmer confessed to 17 murders of men and boys in Milwaukee between 1978 and 1991. The murders included dismemberment, cannibalism and necrophilia.
