Viewers may be interested in similar tales after the Netflix series that examined Dahmer’s misdeeds. This article is all about movies like Jeffery Dahmer.
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Netflix original drama, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which stars Evan Peters in the main role, examines the notorious serial killer.
For those who can recall the Dahmer case, it is a horrific reminder of a series of killings that scared the nation until the end of 1991.
If “legend” is appropriate, younger viewers will only be familiar with the crime’s horror movie style and the tale.
You see a tremendously fascinating story of one man’s loneliness in a fight with his twisted demons if you can classify or get over the horrifying killings, which are never quite as lingered over as you might fear.
The closest thing the show can come to is an explanation for what is ultimately unexplainable.
Since Jeffrey Dahmer has always piqued the general public’s interest, seeing how the new show depicts him will be intriguing.
In truth, true crime movies and TV shows have frequently featured serial killers for years, and there have been many excellent ones.
Here are some of the movies like Jeffery Dahmer;
1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Cast: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
- Director: Jonathan Demme
- IMDb rating: 8.6/10
First on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer is The silence of the lambs.
This masterpiece by Jonathan Demme is about Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist imprisoned and secluded for being a violent serial killer.
The killer who cannibalized his victims is one of the best, most well-known, and most unsettling films about serial killers.
He is tasked with assisting FBI trainee Clarice Starling, who is working on another serial killer case and requires his assistance.
To gain insight into the warped and dangerous psyche of “Buffalo Bill,” who has slain five slightly overweight young ladies, she was picked to elicit an emotional response from Lecter.
2. The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018)
- Cast: Edgar Ramirez, Darren Criss, Penelope Cruz
- Director: Ryan Murphy
- IMDb rating: 8.6/10
The Assassination of Gianni Versace is the second installment of the American Crime Story anthology series.
The show follows the 1997 murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace by serial killer Andrew Cunanan.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace is largely regarded as some of Ryan Murphy’s best work.
Ryan Murphy is not new to serial killer scenarios, both fictional and fact-based.
The focus of American Crime Story’s second season is serial killer Andrew Cunanan, whose most well-known victim was the titular fashion designer.
One of its strongest points is how the show tackles its subject matter. Cunanan is sympathetic since he is a gay guy living in a homophobic era and setting.
Yet, the book is brutally honest about his terrible acts, particularly the death of his former boyfriend, David Madison.
3. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
- Cast: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold
- Director: John McNaughton
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
Next on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer is Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.
The film that ultimately spawned the slasher genre of the late 80s and early 90s is Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.
This intriguing thriller follows Henry and his roommate Otis and is partially based on the serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.
Henry decides to teach Otis how to murder a variety of individuals. The two have no sentiments for anyone or anything because they are all strangers to each other.
After Otis’ sister Becky stays with them, they go on a murdering spree.
But Henry is a genuine sociopath and psychopath who doesn’t give a damn about anyone who has a connection to their crimes and rarely leaves any witnesses behind.
4. The Boston Strangler (1968)
- Cast: Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, George Kennedy
- Director: Richard Fleischer
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Another one of the movies like Jeffery Dahmer is The Boston Strangler.
The Boston Strangler is a classic film that follows the story of Albert DeSalvo and his killing spree in the early 1960s.
DeSalvo killed thirteen women within two years before he was finally caught and put behind bars.
The Boston Strangler is the perfect choice for true crime enthusiasts who want to watch an old-school example of the genre.
Although the majority of viewers now have probably never watched the film, it was well-received upon release and made a respectable amount of money. Tony Curtis was even nominated for a Golden Globe.
The Boston Strangler explores the psychology of the suspected criminal, Albert DeSalvo while chronicling the search for the movie’s titular rapist/murderer.
Although the film lacks historical accuracy, it is a compelling biography supported by the performances of a top-notch ensemble, especially Curtis as DeSalvo.
5. The Sinner (2017)
- Cast: Carrie Coon, Bill Pullman, Jessica Biel
- Director: Derek Simonds
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
The Sinner is an American drama miniseries that follows the story of a woman named Cora who commits a violent act but does not recall why she did it.
A woman kills an apparent stranger with a knife while on vacation at the beach in Season 1. When a couple takes a young child upstate in Season 2, he poisons them.
Are they the boy’s parents, or is something even sinister happening? A car accident in Season 3 uncovers an attractive killer’s secret motivations.
The fact that the show was only meant to be an eight-episode miniseries adds to the interest in each season’s challenging yet gratifying journey.
It’s simple to understand why and how the show keeps evolving because each season’s tone, twists, and performances leave viewers wanting more.
In any event, these parallels are striking. You have two series where heinous events are explored and rehashed from various perspectives to piece together some semblance of a rationale.
Yet whereas “The Sinner” always delivers on that concept, “Monsterconclusions” are less clean.
Because this is a true story, the conclusion usually could be more satisfying from a narrative standpoint.
6. Zodiac (2007)
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo
- Director: David Fincher
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Next on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer is Zodiac. Zodiac is a crime thriller directed by David Fincher that follows the story of an unsolved serial murder case in the Bay Area in 1969-1971.
The film follows the investigation and attempts to identify the killer, known as the “Zodiac.”
It is based on the real-life Zodiac Killer, who killed at least five people in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The film follows a newspaper cartoonist, Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal), who becomes obsessed with the case and helps to solve it.
Fincher enjoys telling us tales based on real-life occurrences. He reopened the investigation into the legendary serial killer Zodiac, drawing us into a terrifying game of cat and mouse.
We shall learn what transpired between 1968 and 1983 as he tormented San Francisco for fifteen years.
This film is not filled with many shocking situations and is slow, incredibly detailed, and suspenseful.
Instead, when a cartoonist decides to become an amateur detective and try to find the perpetrator, we get a fantastic view into the psyche of a serial killer.
Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. performed excellently and were the ideal actors for this tense and challenging film.
7. The Frozen Ground (2013)
- Cast: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens
- Director: Scott Walker
- IMDb rating: 6.1/10
The Frozen Ground is one of the movies like Jeffery Dahmer. The Frozen Ground is a great Nicolas Cage movie with plenty of dark thrills that even his admirers frequently overlook.
However, the plot centers on the search for Alaskan serial murderer Robert Hansen, who, in the 1970s and early 1980s, kidnapped, raped, and killed seventeen women.
The star of The Frozen Ground is John Cusack as Hansen, who dominates every scene with a masterfully evil performance. Cage does a good job as state trooper Jack Halcombe.
Although receiving a mixed response initially, the film has acquired a following in the streaming era, even dominating Netflix’s chart for a week in 2020. (via IGN).
8. Mindhunter (2017-2019)
- Cast: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv
- Director: David Fincher
- IMDb rating: 8.6/10
Mindhunter is next on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer. Each episode of the acclaimed television series “Mindhunter,” which centers on the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit outside of Quantico, aims to unlock the killer’s mind.
The show follows the pair’s attempts to understand what makes a serial killer, covering the cases of Charles Manson, Richard Speck, and Ed Kemper.
It is an incredibly gripping series that will leave you wanting more after each episode.
The first season occurred in the late 1970s when the FBI began to dabble in criminal psychology and profiling. The renowned “Co-Ed Killer” Edmund Kemper is their first target.
Furthermore, the team also meets and learns about the murderers Montie Rissell, Richard Speck, Jerry Brudos, Dennis Rader, and Jame Gumb (a character who served as one of the models for Jame Gumb in “The Silence of the Lambs”).
Furthermore, the investigation team talks with David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz, William Pierce Jr., Elmer Wayne Henley Jr., and even Charles Manson as they look into Wayne Williams’ string of Atlanta child murders.
9. American Psycho (2000)
- Cast: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto
- Director: Mary Harron
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
Next on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer is American Psycho.
American Psycho is a black comedy horror film based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis.
The movie was a critical success and has become a cult classic since its release in 2000.
Christian Bale’s performance as the charming yet psychopathic Bateman is mesmerizing, and his descent into madness is compelling.
The crime drama/thriller American Psycho, starring a 27-year-old wealthy Wall Street professional named Patrick Bateman, is one of the most unsettling films about serial killers ever.
It also features one of the most repulsive characters. He is very egotistical, vain, and self-obsessed and seems to have it all.
A psychopath who hides his sadistic desires from his coworkers is the subject of this thriller, which is based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel.
He is so much more than his egotistical coworkers; he is a sick guy who believes he is better than everyone else and relishes killing everyone he thinks is unattractive or not good enough to be in his presence, even to exist.
10. No Man of God (2021)
- Cast: Elijah Wood, Luke Kirby, Rachel Brosnahan
- Director: Lyle Vincent
- IMDb rating: N/A
Ted Bundy, whose portrayals in movies and television programs have increased recently, is the serial killer who has garnered more attention from Hollywood than Jeffrey Dahmer.
In the mystery film No Man of God, FBI agent Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) interviews Bundy (Luke Kirby) and asks for assistance finding the Green River Killer. This is one of the more intriguing representations.
In contrast to most Bundy biopics, No Man of God is set during his time on death row and portrays him as a more heroic figure in a relationship like that of Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling.
Although this can occasionally make the plot appear cliched, Wood and Kirby have great chemistry together, especially Kirby’s portrayal of Bundy is certainly chilling.
11. Ratched (2020)
- Cast: Sarah Paulson, Cynthia Nixon, Judy Davis
- Director: Ryan Murphy
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Ratched follows Nurse Ratched (Sarah Paulson) as she begins her career at a leading psychiatric hospital.
“Ratched” has a surreal feel that may make you think of “Dahmer” due to its oddness.
Similar to “Dahmer,” another Ryan Murphy Netflix miniseries, “Ratched” features a sympathetic main antagonist, a morally bankrupt universe, and casual brutality that all play a part in the plot of lobotomies, euthanasia, love, and peril.
To get her brother, a serial killer, out of a shady mental facility, Mildred Ratched uses blackmail.
Ratched encounters several classic mishaps and unearths several festering secrets along the road.
Like Dahmer, “Ratched” makes a case for itself by remaining so steadfastly committed to its protagonist’s point of view that we find ourselves pulling for her to prevail throughout.
12. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
- Cast: Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood
- Director: Tom Tykwer
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
Next on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer is Perfume.
Perfume is a movie about Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw), an orphaned perfumer with an acute sense of smell who becomes obsessed with finding the perfect scent.
Jean-Baptiste’s search for a perfect scent leads him to murder as he attempts to capture and preserve the essence of different beautiful women to make his perfumes.
The similarities between Jean-Baptiste Grenouille and Jeffrey Dahmer are eerie; both were driven by an obsession that led them to commit heinous acts.
An agonizing novel about Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born without the ability to smell, has been brilliantly adapted into this film.
His isolation and estrangement from others allowed him to develop an intriguing but unsettling talent.
This crime thriller was directed by Tom Tykwer and centered on an eccentric young guy obsessed with a woman’s body odor, making it his mission to produce and capture its essence.
He is a highly accomplished and talented perfumer who gets sidetracked when locating the ideal scent. His fixation turns deadly and evil at this point.
13. Cruel Summer (2021)
- Cast: Olivia Holt, Michael Landes, Harley Quinn Smith
- Director: Phillip Escott and Craig Newman
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
The last on our list of movies like Jeffery Dahmer is Cruel Summer. This psychological thriller is a great movie like Jeffery Dahmer.
Cruel Summer follows the story of two teenage girls who become fixated on each other after an online predator targets one of them.
Like Dahmer, Cruel Summer on Freeform has several timeframes and a depressing point of view.
But, its focus on the inconsequential instances of abuse and institutional privilege that allow for so many crimes to go unpunished is where it most resembles the Ryan Murphy series.
Furthermore, the 1993 narrative details the disappearance of popular Kate Wallis and the subsequent takeover of her life by the outcast Jeanette Turner.
A year or two later, in the second plot, Kate is found alive and claims Jeanette knew about her kidnapping, which makes Jeanette the most despised person in America.
The complicated legal battle is followed in the concluding 1995 plot.
It’s a suspenseful thriller similar to “Dahmer,” Each of the three seasons is horrifyingly intriguing for different reasons.
The 1993 kidnapping and grooming are terrible, the 1994 season sees the mystery of Jeanette’s role in the plot turn into a never-ending twist, and the 1995 showdowns and drama are top-notch.
There you have it! Fifteen movies like Jeffery Dahmer. From psychological thrillers to crime dramas, there is no shortage of movies that explore criminals’ lives and the darkness within them.
These are just a few examples of suspenseful and gripping stories about violent serial killers, so watch them for a thrilling movie night.
