Review by Bob Ignizio
It’s funny how a movie adaptation of a book can be faithful in
very many ways, and yet still wind up missing the heart and soul of its source
material. Such is the case with
MY
FRIEND DAHMER, adapted from the graphic novel by Clevelander John “Derf” Backderf.
It’s an autobiographical tale in which Derf (played in the film by Alex Wolff)
recounts his high school semi-friendship with Jeff Dahmer (Ross Lynch), who
would go on to become one of the most infamous serial killers in American history.
At the time, Dahmer just seemed like a
harmless weirdo whose bizarre antics provided Derf and his friends with a source of amusement. They made
Dahmer a mascot of sorts, encouraging his odd disruptive behavior. Eventually,
though, the fun came to an end as Jeff's dark side became more apparent. This was most obvious in his
level of alcohol consumption, which even in the party hearty era of the
seventies seemed excessive, and clearly not done for fun.
