Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (TV Mini Series 2022) Poster

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7/10
Well-packaged 3 hours but what about the other 30 hours?
julieshotmail15 October 2022
Netflix's "Dahmer - Monster" that aired before this documentary is an effective dramatization of this shocking moment in history. It garners curiosity as to just how a person could wind up like this, with a hodgepodge of paraphilia and personality disorders. So you might end up finding and watching both the Stone Phillips and Inside Edition interviews done in the early 90s. Those are a chilling watch, as you get to hear from the horse's mouth and witness just how calm his demeanor is despite his heinous crimes and depravity. As much as "The Dahmer Tapes" documentary is excellently put together, it would have been more fascinating to hear the raw audio of the interview, all 32 hours of it, conducted by the defense lawyer Wendy. Instead, we get snippets and carefully curated sound bites to match the narrative from the experts, all condensed into a measly 3 hours, which is not as effective as a straight continuous interview which is what a viewer might expect from the title "Conversations with a Killer."
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8/10
Insightful
michaelrobertb8 October 2022
This is another well produced crime documentary from Netflix, again from Joe Berlinger who did the Ted Bundy Tapes. Hearing Dahmer's voice recount all of the horrific acts he committed was obviously disturbing but fascinating as to how completely open he was about it, with no deflection like other serial killers, and that he seemed to be just unsure of why he did these things as everyone was and wanted answers.

It works really well, whether intentionally or not, as a companion piece with the very recent Dahmer Netflix show starring Evan Peter's and reinforces just how incredibly accurate that show was in it's telling of the Dahmer story. It could've maybe been another episode longer but perhaps that's just me..
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6/10
Cinema of the Unsettling
VioletViolette15 October 2022
Interesting and very eerie to hear Dahmers voice speak about these horrific acts, as we have never heard this before.

The thing that bothered me was the over the top and near CONSTANT cut scenes of creepy masks, melted face masks, film, and other super random imagery that honestly reminded me of Gabes Cinema of the Unsettling video from The Office which took me out of it.

The editing was weird and annoying. There's so much information and it would have been absorbed and more compelling if you weren't constantly distracted by the stupid choppy and unrelated videos interspersed throughout. They're trying to overly dramatise something that is already dramatic enough.
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7/10
Compelling, but lacks in-depth analysis
jmalby7 October 2022
Truly touching and devastating tale about the human monstrosity. It gives us a look into the mind and life of Jeffrey Dahmer, even though they could have done a much deeper dive into the psychology of it all. Some things were poorly explained, including his potential diagnosis and the cannibalism aspect. It was interesting to hear different perspectives from various people about the story. Labelling these tapes as "unheard" was surprising because Dahmer didn't say anything particularly new or unknown to the public. I'd say it's a very well-edited and thought-provoking series that's mostly skilfully constructed, but it lacks depth in some parts.
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9/10
Disturbing to the tenth power. You'll have nightmares.
Shenoa7711 October 2022
One word to describe this man: insidious. This documentary is thorough, perhaps even too thorough. Arguably the only documentary you'll need to see about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer but proceed with caution. It's rough to even watch. What sets this apart from other documentaries and re-enacted versions is the never-before-released videos, newscasts, photos, testimonials and actual interview recordings. Documentary also describes each victim's unfortunate demise one by one. It's a lot to go through visually and mentally. Definitely not for the faint hearted. Wish I could unsee it. The depravity of this man was too much to take.
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7/10
They even got dr. Park Dietz involved for this documentary!
Erik_Surewaard7 October 2022
After the more than excellent dramatization of the Dahmer murders in Netflix' release in september 2022 - which I rated with an exceptional 9 stars - any follow-up documentary will have a difficult time to even come close to the experience of that dramatization.

The documentary makers however were able to get not only on board the prosecutor and defense attorney, but also the more than renowned psychiatrist dr. Park Dietz. The latter one is not only famous for his link with the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI, but also for his interviews with several serial killers. Apart from Dahmer, he is known for his very excellent interview of the "iceman killer": i.e. Richard Kuklinski. I have seen those interviews several times already.

What makes this documentary also interesting, is that it explains some things that I couldn't explain after watchting the dramatization of the Dahmer murders. It for instance explains why Dahmer decided to buy and use yellow contact lenses.

Overall, I think this documentary may come a little too soon after the release of the Dahmer show. Many events are still so fresh in my memory that the documentary is in part just a repeat of events. Instead of two weeks, I would have preferred this documentary to be released at least one year after the drama show was released. Watching the documentary in one year would surely trigger me to again watch (part of) the drama show.

Overall, I still think this documentary deserves 6.8/10, which I round up to a 7 star IMBd rating. This documentary would have scored way better if they had included more of dr. Park Dietz.
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9/10
This should've been aired BEFORE the dramatised version.
amandabedson10 October 2022
Netflix has done the same thing it did the Ted Bundy duo. They released 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile' (2019 with Lily Colin's & Zac Efron), and a week later released 'Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes'. The latter being far superior to the former. If I knew 'Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes' was being released, I wouldn't have watched 'Dahmer - Monster'.

These confessional documentary type mini series are full of witness accounts, conversations with his defence attorney, the people who knew the victims & were the last people to see them before Dahmer took their life. This is the stuff that makes a series interesting, news report clips, policemen on the record saying they stand by the actions of those on duty at the time.

Everything is laid out in a very logical fashion. It made things clear which had been muddied by the 'Dahmer - Monster' dramatisation. No recreation. You HEAR the phone call made by the neighbour asking about the 14 year old boy who was found stumbling out the apartment building, no clothes on, incoherent. You HEAR the officer inform her it had "been dealt with" & the boy had been returned to his boyfriend's (Dahmer's) apartment.

The final episode closes off with individual testimony that is deeply respectful to the victims. Their friends, their neighbours talk about the kind souls who were taken by Dahmer. Victim names are repeated, displayed at the end.

The series ended with my thoughts reverent for everyone who had been forever changed by the hurt caused by Dahmer that had spread like a disease in that community. I wish I could erase that Netflix dramatisation from my mind, by comparison it is camp, jumbled and very distanced from the facts.
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6/10
Negs outweigh pos's
mattraycara10 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Positives -

hearing the man himself describe his actions, his feelings and his (attempts at) explanations for his murderous choices - he is asked to offer these, it's not "showing-off" (I'm not being sympathetic, I'm being objective)

Hearing from those people centrally involved in the proceedings that have him imprisoned (there is a sense that some of them might be bigging their part up.... but what do I know!)

lots of interesting family photos and home-cinema snippets that turn the monstrous story into a walking/talking person

Some new personalities/info - such as Tony Sears's friend spending time with TS and JD the night TS was murdered ... and the drop-off

Negatives -

The decision to include some blurred out character actors smoking and talking into tape machines - fine, but at least get someone with similar hair & build to Dahmer. Second thoughts, just don't do it. Play the tapes; interview the people.

I had a suspicion that one or two facts were incorrect - eg, that Dahmer had left his first victim's remains at the remote house throughout his army service and only disposed of them after he was discharged

No confronting the police department for its horrendous failures that led directly to people becoming victims of a serial killer.

Conclusion -

I'll watch it once. There'll be no need to revisit it.
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10/10
Just wow.. If u felt any sympathy for DAHMER its gone now..
nourilouati-992517 October 2022
Excellent review of the horrific events unfolding. Even though i liked the series DAHMER now i understand some of the backlash about glorification.

In some way after seeing CWaK seems the series feel like My Little Pony........

The events are unfolding are told in an excellent way. And this is all about the terror this man committed and the sick**** that he was. There are many more details here then in the series. I felt Dread throughout all the way, and sometimes i really got nauxious. Also had a few moments of total goosbumps.

The, pace, narrative, interviews, audio score, cinematography, details and time line are top notch 10 stars here.

Also they really made me feel much more attached for the victims and made me see Dahmer as much more of a monster that he was.

Stuff of nightmares right here..

Excellent documentary making though.
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7/10
A solid addition to the "Conversations" series! [+69%]
arungeorge1311 October 2022
Joe Berlinger resumes the "Conversations" series with one of the most horrible human beings to have ever walked the face of the earth - Jeffrey Dahmer. Hot on the heels of a dramatized series starring Evan Peters, this version (like its predecessors) adopts a non-linear approach to Dahmer's ghastly deeds, with some insight into his upbringing. The interviews involve reporters, investigators, friends of victims, and acquaintances of Dahmer's. The tapes themselves aren't what you call spine-chilling because by then, he's already in a confessional mode and acting saner than he ever was. That being said, the gruesome details, when narrated by the reporters and investigators, make your hair stand on end. Luckily, the imagery used sticks to the bare minimums, not putting off viewers.

It also takes a stab at the racism angle as more of Dahmer's victims were from the minority communities (Black, Hispanic, Eurasian) - this seems like fair commentary to me because there were certain instances (like in the case of Sinthasomphone) where the victim was further victimized as a result of cop negligence. Dahmer should also have been caught sooner, and his paroles should have been handled and monitored better to avert further damage. The irony in the last episode is when a district attorney mentions how we should forget Dahmer altogether (even when Netflix is striving to make us remember him all the more) whereas a reporter says we should talk about it more and make people aware of such predators. The most relevant take, however, comes from a friend of the victims who remarks that we can put less emphasis on Dahmer and choose NOT to forget his victims who were just trying to survive and live life.
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10/10
Haunting True Crime Docuseries!! Riveting and Informative!!
rickcamacho-783437 October 2022
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes is a must watch for any fans of true crime documentaries. While the story of Dahmer is well known by now especially after the Netflix smash hit series starring Evan Peters broke records, this limited docuseries lets viewers see it from the perspective of his legal team. What makes this project by Joe Berlinger so masterful is the detailed accounts of the people who put their professional and personal reputations on the line to defend one of the most notorious serial killers in history. Seeing the lasting effects and trauma that Dahmer's victims and legal team suffered in the wake of his crime spree and trial is what makes this docuseries so haunting. Academy Award nominated director Jor Berlinger who also brought us Conversations with a killer: Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, really gives us a look at Jeffrey Dahmer that not many others have shown us on screen, a killer with no remorse, for the lives he destroyed.

Overall, this docuseries is without a doubt worth watching for fans of true crime dramas.
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6/10
Not great not terrible
silviaavram-250678 October 2022
Didnt't help that the series with Evan Peters came out first and it was brilliant.

If you are familiar to the case this documentary really doesn't bring anything new to the table. I don't think the world needed another documentary about this since there are plenty well made. The recordings of Dahmer's confession can be wrapped in 10 mins max so in my opinion "the Jeffrey Dahmer's tapes" title is a little bit misleading, you can directly watch his 2 interviews on youtube (30 mins each) where you get all the story told by the man himself. Didn't give much attention to the victims either so really pointless.
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5/10
Good but not as good as the T. Bundy version
tiffanydburgett8 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Pretty biased with lots of speculation and not enough facts. Good way to stir up even more racial strife. For instance, there was a reporter saying Dahmer knew he could get away with his crimes bc "he was white" and his victims were minorities (explain the white victims then, please). Dahmer himself was very remorseful and honest about his crimes but never once admitted to him being a racist. This guy also had 17 victims and they really only got into a few of their deaths. They just kept emphasizing that they were black. If the makers of this documentary were so interested in honoring these victims why couldn't they take the time to delve into the rest of the victims and their deaths? Also, not enough police interviews to determine what was going thru their minds when their inactions led to more ppl dying (example, when the two officers didn't arrest him despite one of his victims running out of his apartment in a horrible state and needing help). Not saying the man wasn't a homophobe racist but not enough facts and not enough interviews of law enforcement for this to be a responsible documentary.

This also jumped around too much chronologically to the point it was difficult to keep the timeline straight.

I like that they showed what a lonely man he was. That was actually something useful as it points out what awful things ppl are capable of when they feel alone.
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7/10
Good, but sometimes confusing, if you don't know the case already.
Lukasmj1 March 2023
"The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes" is without a doubt not a bad documentary.

Dahmer's unbelievable and terrible deeds are described very well in the documentary and the effects of these deeds on the society of the time are also quite clear.

What definitely enhances the documentary series is that we get to hear recordings of Dahmer here that had never been made available to the public until the release of this documentary.

But I have to say I'm just not a fan of how the documentary is structured. I still don't understand why a documentary decides to keep jumping back and forth between different points in time. I think this is just confusing.
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9/10
This broke me even more
Comphunk9 October 2022
I have been fascinated yet horrified when I first read about Dahmer crimes back in 2016 I guess. I had no clue what his standing was amongst all serial killers. Then like in last 3 years I have watched pretty much whats available on the internet about him including the 10 part series just released on Netflix. But what this 3 part docuseries has to offer is something that would make you wonder even more, what actually went Dahmers mind. TBH I felt probably a 0.0001% sympathy for him.. But once I heard his actual confessions here with his defense attorney, I was shocked to no end. I mean this takes everything else you would have seen or read about. The shocking details and his chemistry with his young defense attorney. I mean how could they even represent this guy. The prosecution angle is something very very interesting. Theres toness of stuff out there about Dahmer, But this one is the most realistic, as it contains the words of man himself during or around his trial. I lost whatever sympathy I had when I heard about those drillings.
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10/10
the possibility of in depth analysis...
ops-525359 October 2022
That one reviewer has asked for where killed that day mr dahmer was killed in the prison by an inmate. Criminologists and the society of shrinks and headoctors , have learned a lot about serial killers while being in prison or on death row, and the real in depth analysis ofd the sane or insane serial killer really doesnt unfold till many years after deeds have been done. Sothat opportunity slipped away so to speak.

Therefore at the dahmer case, this documentary has glued together an immense collection of mr dahmers inner thoughts, told in his own voice on tape, a source of information that we really should feel blessed of taking part in, myself, the ever so grumpy old man felt sick and uneasy most of the time, putting me on the brink of a crossroad choosing between wether or not view true crime documentaries, cause this was like having antabus in my body watching... this is by far the ''best'' dahmer documentary ive seen, and compared to other cases , its a kind of deal with the devil choice to make it this way. If more in depth analysis where to be demanded, then it would be viewing his photo collection and all the pieces of maccabre memorabillia mr dahmer collected as symbols. That would be too gross for the layman, and thank god there are dignity out there to prevent such stuff shown even by tv producers, because this is far beyond fiction

a well made historical and criminological document this is, and must be a heavy pill to swallow for those who lost their loved ones. And that is why this documentary should be seen, its in memorandum of the poor victims of unspeakable crimes...
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8/10
Companion ... piece
kosmasp8 October 2022
No pun intended - Dahmer seemed to be looking for someone ... because he felt alone. And if you are bleak about life (or realistic), we are alone! Well mostly - hopefully you can find someone that you want to spend your time with. And the same goes for the person when it comes to you. Something that Dahmer was unable to get - or unable to sustain. At least he never felt he could.

There was way more and he was complex on some levels. He was also quite evil - and evil in a sense that he didn't even seem to care. Apart from what it would do to him. He was always in the center of everything. That's why he was not taken aback by the fame he garnered or gathered.

The docu series is ok and works as a companion piece to the show Dahmer - Monster. Which is really good. If you only want to watch one of those two - I'll say watch the other one. Even if it is way longer ... it is worth it, believe me!
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9/10
After all, everyone is responsible for their choices.
ocomaji7 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I recommend watching Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story after watching it. The editing and screenplay first, followed by the original recording and footage, provide a clearer understanding of the brutality. It is useful for clarifying the confusion on the timeline.

The narration is very clear, it is a disgusting feeling to be able to perceive the minds of murderers and to perceive the brutality from their point of view.

While people commit such crimes, their past and experiences may be important, but I think that their choices have nothing to do with their past. While the murders are being committed, their minds are able to make completely normal choices. After all, every human being is responsible for their choices. It should not be forgotten that this person is in good mental balance.

PS: I wish he wasn't killed, it's a salvation for him after all. I wish he would take his punishment to the fullest.

I'm so sorry for all the victims and their families.
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1/10
A waste of a day
lisabrown_scbh8 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The great "revelation" of why this monster destroyed 100s of lives (victims and their friends and family) boils down to this idiot being lonely?

I wanted to hear from your victims, not listen to a pity party for a degenerate loser.

The assertion by the female lawyer who was pimped by the defense to give the optics of a more humane serial killer, pedophile, rapist and cannibal that "more could be learned" by society is stupid. There is nothing to be learned than what is already known, America breeds deviants and degenerates because that's it's historical foundation. White men cannibalizing black people, White people mailing black mutilated body parts through the postal service, skin books, family and community outings and picnic to witness torture and murder, and lots of legalized rape of black bodies is how a Jeffery Dahmer existed. No deep mystery there!

To hear the sympathy for this devil after he was killed by a black man with a dumbbell made me want to throw up.
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