Evan Peters fans have been busy. DAHMER-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story just joined Stranger Things Season 4 and Squid Games in surpassing the billion-hour mark in viewing time, making it one of the most watched series on Netflix. The first installment of the anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan is only the third title to hit that milestone in just 60 days, and the second-ever English-language series.
Starring Peters as the notorious serial killer, DAHMER weaves a compelling narrative exploring the institutional failures, systemic racism and pervasive homophobia that enabled Jeffrey Dahmer to murder 17 young men over the course of 13 years. The chilling series also focuses on his many victims, and gives voice to long-overlooked figures in the story such as Glenda Cleveland (Niecy Nash), who repeatedly tried to warn the authorities about her suspicious neighbor.
During a roundtable hosted by Murphy with the cast of the series, Nash got emotional about the responsibility she felt bringing Cleveland’s story to the screen. “To be the face and the voice of so many Black women who go unheard and unseen... My tears often come when I wonder where Glenda’s spirit is right now,” she said. “And [if] she knows that the world has shown up and taken note of what she was trying to get people to [realize].”
Peters also described his “120%” commitment to the gruesome character, going as far as to tie lead weights on his hands to nail Dahmer’s distinct posture. “I watched all the footage I could find, the [Stone Phillips] interviews, [from the] courtroom, and I sort of studied how he moved,” he said. “He had a very straight back. He didn’t move his arms when he walked.”
After its debut on Sept. 21, DAHMER spent seven weeks in the Netflix Global Top 10, eventually surrendering the top spot to Murphy’s other smash hit, The Watcher. Both series have now been renewed, so get ready for two additional installments of Monster, focusing on other monstrous figures who have impacted society.
DAHMER-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is currently available to stream.
