Monster : Evan Peters keeps going in horror cinema

Following his various roles in American Horror Story, Evan Peters now slips into the skin of a new serial killer. The first teaser of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, has just been revealed by Netflix.

At a time when true crime is on the rise, Netflix reveals their last project. In a very short teaser, the platform shows the first images of Evan Peters (X-Men, American Horror Story) as Milwaukee cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer. Announced in March 2021, Monster will trace the life of one of the most famous killers in the United States, from his complicated childhood to his conviction in 1992. Dahmer murdered 17 men between 1978 and 1992, and also committed acts of cannibalism and necrophilia. 

Composed of 10 episodes, the miniseries will take the point of view of the victims and will not ignore the incompetence of the police in this case. Notably when Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland – played by Niecy Nash (Scream Queens) – had alerted the authorities of his suspicious behavior on several occasions. The latter had never been taken seriously because of her skin color. This allowed the killer to continue for so many years. If Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile had been criticized for putting too much emphasis on the killer compared to the victims, Monster should not repeat this mistake.

To soak in his character, Evan Peters confessed to have done a lot of research. A preparation technique acquired from Kate Winslet on the set of Mare of Easttown: “I have read so much, watched so much and observed (…), there is so much documentation on Dahmer that I think it is important to make it authentic”. There is no doubt that the interpreter of Peter Maximoff gives his all. He will be joined by Penelope Ann Miller (The Artist) and Richard Jenkins (Six Feet Under, The Shape of Water) who will play Dahmer’s father. Moreover, fans of true crime should not be disappointed: the pilot episode will be directed by Carl Franklin, who had already worked on 4 episodes of Mindhunter by David Fincher.

A fruitful partnership

Scheduled for the end of 2022, the series by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan – to whom we owe mainly Glee, The Politician, American Horror Story and Ratched – is the result of a long partnership between the creators and Netflix. Indeed, Ryan Murphy had quit 20th Century Fox in 2018, to sign an exclusive contract with the platform. A partnership worth 300 million dollars with a duration of 5 years.

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is not the first adaptation of the Milwaukee cannibal’s story. My Friend Dahmer, in which the killer was played by Ross Lynch, told the story of his life from the perspective of one of his high school classmates, John “Derf” Backderf. The serial killer also appears in the fifth season of American Horror Story “Hotel”. Something to keep the public waiting for the end of the year.