Streaming columnist NICK OVERALL looks at the true-crime shocker that’s caused a furore.

WATCHED by almost 200 million people in its first week alone, Netflix’s new show on infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is yet another true-crime streaming phenomenon.

Hitting the platform’s number one most watched series in 60 countries, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”, recounts the life and crimes of the Milwaukee murderer who killed 17 men between 1978 and 1991.

Dahmer committed cannibalism and necrophilia among many other terrifying transgressions, crimes that have made him the subject of dozens of podcasts, documentaries, books and more since his death in 1994.

In this new series Netflix offers a dramatic recreation of his life that is nothing short of a horror show. Perhaps unsurprisingly to some, it’s created by Ryan Murphy, who is also behind the fictional TV hair-raiser “American Horror Story” (on Binge).

If there’s one reason to watch “Dahmer”, star Evan Peters is it.

Peters is nauseating in his performance of the killer, and that’s a compliment. What other way is there to describe a quality performance of a real-life psychopath?

The supporting cast is also excellent. Great cinematography and pacing on top gave this series everything it needed to become a true crime hit.

But while praise for the production value itself is justified, there’s something sinister about this show that goes beyond its subject matter.

In the weeks since its release, “Dahmer” has been the subject of a furore caused by Netflix neglecting to inform the families of real-life victims the series was happening.

The sister of one of these victims, Rita Isbell, whose brother Errol was killed by Dahmer at just 19-years-old, has publicly scolded Netflix, telling “Insider” in an interview that it’s “harsh and careless”.

“I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn’t ask me anything,” she said.

“When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself – when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said.”

In a tweet, Errol’s cousin, Eric, also described the family’s disgust with the production.

“I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge [right now], but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbells) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatising over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?”

It’s a question that may just need to be asked, especially as the genre continues to increase in both popularity and accessibility.

Many will be familiar with similar controversy which surrounded 2019’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”, a film that starred “High School Musical” heartthrob Zac Efron as Ted Bundy and which was widely accused of fetishising the serial killer. 

Closer to home, anger has also been recently sparked by “Nitram”, a movie that tells the story of Martin Bryant and the events that led up to the tragic 1996 Port Arthur massacre (On Stan).

Streaming companies are no stranger to this sort of criticism. Netflix has also copped serious heat for putting “Dahmer” under the platform’s “LGBTQ+” category, a tag dedicated to representing the community.

That label was placed next to other tags such as “horror”, “ominous” and “vintage crime”.

While Dahmer was indeed homosexual, many people of the community have lambasted the streaming giant, saying that this is not the representation they’re looking for.

Netflix changed the tag after two days of backlash.

Many of the show’s critics have also described it as “humanising” the killer through a portrayal of his upbringing that places him as a victim of bullying, a broken home and crippling loneliness.

Personally, I found the series’ use of its chronology meant it never was able to engender much sympathy for its lead.

The first episode is set at the very end of Dahmer’s reign of terror, portraying the crime that saw him finally caught. 

In doing this, the audience sees the killer at his absolute worst, the height of his murderous endeavours. It’s only after this lengthy and terrifying prologue the series then rewinds back to Dahmer growing up and his troubled life. Whenever something bad happens to him, it’s always grossly tinged by the monster we know he becomes.

Still, is all of this going too far?

The landing of “Dahmer” on Netflix and its gigantic viewership makes it a question worth asking.

It’s an intriguing thought that all of the controversy will ultimately serve to bring more viewers to a series that is eerily similar to its star attraction – creepy, exploitative and frighteningly hard to look away from.