Netflix offers a colorful smorgasbord of all sorts of films and series. From time to time, a title in particular arouses the interest of users. This is also the case with a new series based on true events. Now it has even made it to number 1 on Google!
If we think back to past series hits on Netflix, titles like “Bridgerton”, “Inventing Anna” or “Squid Game” come to mind in particular, which attracted an audience of millions at the start. As of October 2022, there is one more name on this list. We’re talking about the true crime series “Dahmer”.
Story of a Serial Killer became a Netflix hit
“Dahmer” sheds light on the murders of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in a total of 10 episodes. Between 1978 and 1991 he horribly killed 17 young men in the USA and kept some of their body parts in his apartment for weeks. The media also called him “The Milwaukee Cannibal” or “The Milwaukee Monster”. After one of his potential victims managed to escape, Dahmer was caught. After his arrest in 1991, he cooperated with the authorities and the police, which means that the cases and their background are very well documented today. He is also one of the most famous serial killers in the United States. Dahmer was killed in prison by a fellow inmate at the age of 34.
The creepy and macabre story apparently appeals to many Netflix users. In just the first week after Netflix launched on September 21, 2022, the series was streamed 196.2 million hours. In the second week, the number of streamed hours increased according to Netflix even to 299.84 million. No other English-language series on Netflix had such a steep restart. Only “Wednesday” was able to surpass this impressive number directly in November.
“Dahmer” is also the most successful series on Google
Interest in the Netflix series is also evident on Google. In the annual review of the search engine, “Dahmer” actually ranks first among the most searched series. The Google rankings are always a very good indicator of success and interest in a topic. This is particularly impressive because “Dahmer” only started on Netflix relatively late in the year.
Incidentally, Netflix series are also enthroned in 2nd and 5th place, namely “Stranger Things” and “The Watcher”. The 4th season of “Stranger Things” ran on the streaming provider in the summer, and season 5 will then be the finale of the successful series. Other series in the top 5 included the Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon and the HBO series Euphoria.
Criticism of the series “Dahmer”
Perhaps “Dahmer” is also so successful because the series cannot do without criticism. Above all, the relatives of the victims are very critical of the filming of the events of that time. For example, Eric Thulhu, relative of Errol Lindsey, who was killed in 1991, said in a Twitter post that his family (the Isbells) were furious with this show. “She keeps re-traumatizing, and for what? How many more movies/shows/documentaries do we need?” Rita Isbell, sister of the murdered man, also said she was never contacted about the series.
The general accusation of those affected: Netflix would enrich themselves financially from their suffering. In recent months and years, the streaming service has either produced a large number of true crime stories itself or added them to its range. The provider also shows the stories of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and other serial killers. There are also numerous documentaries that shed light on the stories of crimes or their perpetrators. Apparently, such stories are very well received by streaming customers. But the story is not over with “Dahmer”. The documentary Jeffrey Dahmer: Self-Portrait of a Serial Killer has been on Netflix since October 7th.
Netflix has since responded to some of the criticism and removed the LGBTQ category. The series was originally given this category because Dahmer sought and found his victims in Milwaukee’s LGBTQ community. However, the narration of the events of the time in the Netflix series has once again shaken the community and awakened old dreams. Drag performer BJ Daniels told “WISN“I feel like the day fetishizes this whole horrible moment in Milwaukee history. It’s not supposed to be seen that way, it just feels completely wrong. I know that many of my friends and many people who lived through this period will not watch the series. You’re not going to put money in someone’s pocket who is literally disturbing victims’ graves.”