12 Movies Based On Real Life Serial Killers

6. My Friend Dahmer (2017)

Gacy 2003
FilmRise

A cannibal who keeps pieces of his victim in his refrigerator isn't exactly relatable, and yet, My Friend Dahmer shows us that we may have more similarities to this monster than we realize. Instead of focusing on his crimes as an adult, My Friend Dahmer follows his awkward high school years as he struggles to belong.

A rough childhood and a feeling of loneliness are not uncommon and the film does not shy away from humanizing Jeffrey Dahmer without attempting to downplay his sinister acts. The film is based on the graphic novel of the same name which was created by a classmate of Dahmer's and tells the story of a troubled boy that is cast aside by everyone around him.

Dahmer admitted to killing nearly 20 men prior to his arrest, but his cannibalism is definitely set him apart from other serial killers. My Friend Dahmer refrained from taking low hanging fruit by extending the story to include his murders. Watching Dahmer pick up a hitchhiker at the finale only to learn that the man was never seen again was a chilling ending in itself.

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