The Jeffrey Dahmer Files(akaJeff) is an independentdocumentaryfilm about serial killerJeffrey Dahmerduring the summer of his arrest. The film was directed by Chris James Thompson and starsAndrew Swantas Dahmer in fictionalized re-enactment segments which are interwoven with interviews of themedical examinerassigned to the case (Jeffrey Jentzen), the leaddetective(Pat Kennedy), and Dahmer's next door neighbor (Pamela Bass).
| The Jeffrey Dahmer Files | |
|---|---|
 Official film poster | |
| Directed by | Chris James Thompson |
| Written by | Chris James Thompson Andrew Swant Joe Riepenhoff |
| Produced by | Chris Smith Barry Poltermann Jack Turner Chris James Thompson |
| Starring | Andrew Swant Jeffrey Jentzen Pat Kennedy Pamela Bass |
| Cinematography | Michael T. Vollmann |
| Edited by | Michael T. Vollmann, Chris James Thompson |
| Music by | Robert Mulrennan The Knife The Books |
| Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film premiered at the 2012SXSWfilm festival under the titleJeff,where it received positive reviews and obtained sales representation fromJosh Braunat Submarine Entertainment. The film also played at theHot Docs Canadian International Documentary FestivalinToronto,theIndependent Film Festival of Boston,and theBFI London Film Festival.
The documentary was picked up byIFC Filmswho re-titled itThe Jeffrey Dahmer Files.Jonathan Sehring, President ofSundanceSelects/IFC Films, said: “Chris James Thompson has made one of the creepiest documentaries of the year that lingers in the mind long after the film has ended. He’s approached the well-known subject of Jeffrey Dahmer in a new and inventive way that managed to completely unnerve us." The film was released theatrically and onVideo On Demandthrough IFC on February 15, 2013, followed by a DVD release. The film was later released onNetflix,Hulu,Amazon,AMC+,andGoogle Play.[1]
The film was shot inMilwaukee, WisconsinonSuper 16 mmfilm over the course of three years. It was executive produced byChris Smith(director ofAmerican Movie),Barry Poltermann,and Jack Turner.
Plot synopsis
editIn 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and sentenced to 957 years in prison for murdering 17 men and boys and dismembering their bodies.Jeffexplores the city of Milwaukee by meeting those surrounding Dahmer during and after his hidden spree. Recollections from Milwaukee Medical Examiner Jeffrey Jentzen, Police Detective Patrick Kennedy, and neighbor Pamela Bass are interwoven with archival footage and everyday scenes from Dahmer's life, working collectively to disassemble the facade of an ordinary man leading an ordinary existence.
Critical response
editThe film received generally positive reviews, many of them praising the director's restraint. Jeannette Catsoulis ofThe New York Timescalled the film "a meditation on perversion as hypnotic as it is repulsive" and labeled it a "Critics' Pick".[2]Mark Olson of theLos Angeles Timescalled the film "quietly unnerving."[3]
John DeFore ofThe Hollywood Reportersaid that “Jeffstands apart from the true-crime pack "and called Swant's portrayal of Dahmer" eerily convincing.”[4]John Gholson ofMovies.comsaid “I’d go so far as to say thatJeffis one of the greatest serial killer movies ever made.”[5]
Owen Gleiberman,writing forEntertainment Weekly,said the film was "for hardcore Dahmer obsessives only. Through a mix of documentary footage and staged scenes, director Chris James Thompson explores the days during which Dahmer’s crimes were first discovered. Interviews with the medical examiner on the scene and the officer who first interrogated Dahmer bring us into a newly queasy communion with the horror of his crimes."[6]
The film won the Milwaukee Film Festival's Cream City Cinema Grand Jury Award for 2012.[7]
References
edit- ^Martin, Peter (February 1, 2013)."Exclusive: First Trailer for Chilling Serial Killer Doc - The Jefferey Dahmer Files".Screen Anarchy.Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Twitch Film.RetrievedOctober 19,2018.
- ^Catsoulis, Jeannette (February 14, 2013)."'The Jeffrey Dahmer Files,' by Chris James Thompson ".The New York Times.
- ^Olsen, Mark (March 10, 2012)."SXSW 2012: 'Jeff' explores Dahmer's effect on Milwaukee".Los Angeles Times.
- ^DeFore, John (March 20, 2012)."The Hollywood Reporter review".The Hollywood Reporter.Los Angeles, California:Eldridge Industries.RetrievedFebruary 27,2014.
- ^Gholson, John (March 22, 2012)."Horror at SXSW: 'Jeff,' 'Compliance,' and 'The Tall Man' Stretch the Definition of Horror".Movies.com.RetrievedOctober 19,2018.
- ^Gleiberman, Owen(February 22, 2013)."The Jeffrey Dahmer Files".Entertainment Weekly.New York City:Meredith Corporation.p. 59. Archived fromthe originalon May 9, 2013.RetrievedOctober 19,2018.
- ^Wild, Matt (October 8, 2012)."Crulic - The Path To Beyond and The Jeffrey Dahmer Files take top jury honors at 2012 Milwaukee Film Festival".The A.V. Club.Chicago, Illinois:Onion, Inc.Archived fromthe originalon November 10, 2012.
