“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is one of the most contentious new television series to premiere in recent memory. The streaming giant has had to skirt numerous areas of controversy surrounding the Ryan Murphy series, including allegations that it did not consult with the relatives of victims and the revelation that very few people of color worked on the project.
In “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” the activities of one of the most deranged serial killers in contemporary history are recreated. Even in a television series based on his killings, some of Dahmer’s reprehensible actions could only be alluded to in the most general terms. Despite continued criticism, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” continues to dominate Netflix’s streaming statistics, and it can now add another notch to its belt.
“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is currently the second-most-viewed program in Netflix’s history. The gruesome limited series has amassed over 700 million hours of watching, placing it second only to the fourth season of “Stranger Things,” which has amassed an astounding 1.35 billion hours.
Despite the controversy surrounding one of Ryan Murphy‘s most recent films, it makes tremendous commercial sense for Netflix to continue working with the producer. Moreover, Murphy can boast even more success for the streaming site, since another of his projects, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” is also performing very well on Netflix, ranking second on the service’s list of the Top 10 English-language films.
Even though “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” has a somewhat infamous reputation and “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” has received a decidedly mixed response from audiences and critics, that hasn’t stopped either film from generating the kind of viewership numbers that will help Netflix remain competitive in an increasingly crowded streaming market.
In the ten-part series, which is mostly presented from the perspective of Dahmer’s victims and delves deeply into the police incompetence and apathy that allowed the Wisconsin native to continue on a multiyear killing rampage, Peters portrays the legendary serial murderer. At least ten occasions in which Dahmer was nearly caught but finally let free are dramatized in the series.
Niecy Nash, Richard Jenkins, Molly Ringwald, and Michael Learned co-star in the series. Murphy and Ian Brennan conceived and executive produce the sitcom, together with Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Evan Peters, Janet Mock, and Carl Franklin.