‘Dahmer’ Inspires Netflix To Make A Serial Killer Cinematic Universe, Of Course

Games ‘Dahmer’ Inspires Netflix To Make A Serial Killer Cinematic Universe, Of Course Paul Tassi Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. News and opinion about video games, television, movies and the internet. Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Nov 8, 2022, 08:13am EST | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Dahmer Netflix Dahmer was two things for Netflix: A series that sparked enormous pushback about how the story of the serial killer and his victims was handled. And one of its most viewed series ever, up there with the likes of the last season of Stranger Things. Now, what lesson do you think Netflix took away from both of those developments? Netflix has greenlit two more “Monster” seasons after the massive success of Dahmer for the network, which will focus on other famous serial killers.

While the killers in question have not been announced, John Wayne Gacy seems like an obvious pick, given that he was already featured in Dahmer, as was Ed Gein. BTK and Ted Bundy also seem like likely options. The news makes a whole lot of business sense, as Dahmer is headed toward 1 billion viewing hours, proving the True Crime is as popular as its ever been, a trend that extends far beyond Netflix.

And yet it definitely feels like Netflix is attempting to assemble a cinematic universe of serial killers. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy posed for the above Des Plaines Police Department mug shot in December . .

. [+] 1978. (Photo by Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images) Getty Images This is sort of the ultimate example of “give the people what they want,” however, as this would not be happening had viewership for Dahmer been this massive.

It’s probably more commentary about society than about Netflix, and again, fascination with serial killers is not a new phenomenon, given the countless other shows, movies and documentaries we’ve seen even of the same 5-6 killers throughout the years. MORE FOR YOU The ‘Backsies’ Billionaire: Texan Builds Second Fortune From Wreckage Of Real Estate Empire He’d Sold Representation Through Play: How Dr. Lisa Williams Built An Award-Winning, Multicultural Doll Company Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The Best Travel-Inspired Spices There is something to say about how the given show handles the material, however.

Mindhunter, for instance, was a Netflix series from David Fincher that featured real serial killers, but the focus was on the FBI finding and stopping them, rather than the killer themselves. And while Dahmer did try to place some focus on the victims and police misconduct, Ryan Murphy’s quotes after the fact about how they tried to reach out to victim families and no one responded have felt hollow, and dispute what actual victim families have said. If I had to place bets on which killers will get the Monster treatment, it would probably be Gacy and Ted Bundy, who already have Netflix docuseries in the Conversations with a Killer series, along with Dahmer himself.

The two would be wildly different, with Gacy a psychopathic clown, and Bundy a “charming” guy who has already sparked many debates about Hollywood and media glorification. We will see what Netflix actually announces however, and what the reaction will be to the news. Follow me on Twitter , YouTube , Facebook and Instagram .

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