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.
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. Now there is a new bestseller that even surpasses the numbers of the series mentioned. We’re talking about the true crime series “Dahmer”.
Serial Killer Story Helps Netflix Succeed
“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 has had such a steep restart.
Also read: Everything you need to know about Squid Game Season 2
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 the 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. So there are also the stories of Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy and other serial killers to see here. 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.