Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story episode 1 review: How did Jeffrey get caught?

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story premiered on Netflix on September 21, 2022. The mini-series, starring Evan Peters, dived into the life and crimes of the infamous serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer killed over 15 young men over thirteen years. The new series is created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

Dahmer is one of the most well-known criminals in the world. In this series, the creators engaged the viewers with a very unsettling setting and a fascinating story of a criminal's origin. However, the first episode is not about Dahmer's origin. It is, in fact, about Dahmer's end. The brilliantly written episode started by depicting the events of his last attempted murder before he was arrested and sentenced.

This episode had almost every element of an excellent show, making it worthwhile for viewers and giving them enough material to ponder. Read on for a detailed review of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story episode 1.

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Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer episode 1 sets up a tantalising anticipation

Whenever a series or film starts with the killer's final act or arrest, it usually means business. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is no different in that regard. From the opening scene, there is a certain amount of mystery and tension surrounding the mise-en-scene, aided by good background music, carefully created dim light settings, and camera angles that emphasize the tension.

Apart from the year, there was no indication whether Dahmer was between his killing spree or was starting out. However, it is a well-known fact that the serial killer was arrested in 1991. Specifically, in this episode, the story dives into Dahmer's attempts at luring an African-American guy to his apartment.

Evan Peters' brilliant portrayal of the serial killer is massively engaging and would appeal to any crime drama fan. It is hard to know if the actual Dahmer behaved this way, but it seems convincing enough for a serial killer. This episode also focused a lot on the small nuances of a psychopath.

With Jeffrey Dahmer's interaction with his victim at his place, the episode slowly built a rising tension with the sound design, conversation, and Peters' eerie behavior. The show also cleverly depicted how Jeffrey Dahmer had gotten less careful by the time the first episode happened, owing to the magnitude of murders that he had committed by then.

As the story escalated, Dahmer's victim managed to escape, and finally, authorities reached his house. Dahmer was barely intimidated by the police and tried to talk his way out of it.

His carelessness and lack of concern for the law led the authorities to discover crucial evidence and enabled his arrest. The final part of the episode showed Dahmer in the police station, ready to confess, thus delving deep into the details of the Jeffrey Dahmer story.

As a premiere episode, this episode had nearly all the elements of a perfect thriller. It had tension, excellent technical work, and was set up perfectly for the future.

All the episodes of the show are now streaming on Netflix.