A new horror film has viewers questioning just how far filmmakers are willing to go for shock value, and its premise has left many calling it downright “disgusting and tasteless.”
While the film appears to be going for an outrageous slasher story, viewers aren't amused by its use of a real-life ki**er's name and legacy.
“Think about the victims!!! Make an original movie concept! Not this!!!! These people need to be boycotted for real!!!” fumed one netizen.
Highlights
- A new horror-comedy has sparked outrage with viewers calling its premise “disgusting and tasteless.”
- The film's bizarre storyline has reignited a debate over whether real-life criminals should become entertainment characters.
- Previously, Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series faced similar criticism in 2022, with relatives of the victims accusing the production of exploiting their loved ones' stories.
A new horror-comedy film imagines notorious criminal Jeffrey Dahmer’s spirit living on inside a doll
A horror-comedy movie called Jeffrey Dollmer puts a controversial spin on the familiar supernatural doll-horror genre.
The story begins in 1991, shortly before Jeffrey Dahmer's capture, when the serial ki**er performs a ritual in an attempt to transfer his spirit into a doll.
Police keep the doll as evidence for decades before discarding it and sending it into the modern world.
It eventually ends up at a remote photo shoot, where its murderous spirit begins stalking and taking the lives of the models and crew.
Directed by Mark Savage, the film was written by Jeff Miller and John Doolan, based on a story by Miller.
Its cast includes Charlie Trepany, Chey Crieger, Juliana Destefano, Adam Huss, Eva Hamilton, and Brian Joseph Mange as the spirit of Dahmer.
The premise deliberately plays with familiar horror tropes, particularly the possessed-toy formula popularized by Child's Play.
Angry netizens argue that turning a real-life serial ki**er into a comedy character crosses a line for victims’ families
But unlike Chucky, the doll at the center of this story is inspired by a real-life figure who took the lives of 17 people.
The film's central idea has prompted criticism from viewers who believe that using Dahmer as the inspiration for a campy ki**er-doll story makes light of a real-life tragedy.
One commenter wrote, “Ew, I hate this it’s ripping off Chucky and glorifying a real serial ki**er. It’s so insensitive.”
Another said, “That’s pretty disgusting to use a real-life criminal to make entertainment like this.”
“Man, talk about tacky and tasteless, why is Dahmer being treated like some quirk now?” a third user asked.
Another commenter argued, “You know what made the Texas chainsaw a good horror movie? That while it was based on Ed Gein's horrific acts, it did not take the man himself or advertise using him as a selling point. Real ki**ers don't deserve to be in entertainment. At most in docs and educational use.”
Others expressed, “This is f**king disgusting as a concept alone, making a horror movie using an actual serial ki**er with real victims is beyond disrespectful. How the hell did this get greenlit ???”
“This is morally reprehensible and should be boycotted. Are we really that detached from our own sense of empathy and humanity that we're making this now? Sorry, this is the line I draw.”
Dahmer, often called the “Milwaukee Monster,” brutally took the life of 17 men and boys
For those unfamiliar with the real person behind the film's premise, Dahmer was an American serial ki**er who took the lives of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991.
He was finally arrested in July 1991 after one intended victim, Tracy Edwards, managed to escape and alert police.
Dahmer was convicted of 16 homicides across Wisconsin and Ohio and sentenced to multiple life terms in 1992.
He was later fatally attacked by a fellow inmate, Christopher Scarver, at a Wisconsin prison on November 28, 1994.
The latest controversy is not entirely new.
Netflix's 2022 series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, starring Evan Peters as the criminal, faced similar criticism for turning the crimes into a dramatized streaming spectacle.
Several relatives of Jeffrey’s victims, allegedly, said they were not consulted before the series was made and accused the production of reopening painful wounds for their families.
Rita Isbell, whose brother Errol Lindsey was m**dered by Dahmer, particularly objected to the series recreating her emotional courtroom statement.
Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series faced similar accusations of exploiting Dahmer’s victims’ stories
She said Netflix had never contacted her to ask how she felt about the portrayal.
Eric Perry, Lindsey's cousin, also criticized the production, saying his family found out about it when the series was released.
Creator Ryan Murphy later said his team had reached out to around 20 of the victims' families and friends during the research process but received no responses.
Distributed by Uncork'd Entertainment, the film became available on digital and video-on-demand platforms on Tuesday, November 3.
Viewers can rent or purchase it through platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
It also received a festival screening at Monster Fest in Melbourne, Australia, last month.
“This is disgusting and disrespectful to the victims and their families!!” one netizen fumed
