With Leatherface on the way a bit later on this year, it’s only fair that one of the most infamous real-life serial killers of all time should have his backstory told in a feature film too, right? My Friend Dahmer, for which a teaser trailer was released at SDCC 2017, aims to do just that.
For the uninitiated, Jeffrey Dahmer was an active serial killer in the Midwest between 1978 and 1991. Over that time, he murdered a total of 17 men and boys. He was subsequently captured and incarcerated, but his story lives on as one of the most horrifying in human history (so well-known, in fact, Dahmer was referenced in a Katy Perry song).
My Friend Dahmer, from writer-director Marc Meyers, is based off Derf Backderf’s hugely-popular, and critically-lauded, 2012 graphic novel of the same name. The movie is, therefore, not your typical serial killer biopic (if there even is such a thing).
Complicating matters further is the casting of Disney Channel alum Ross Lynch (the Austin of Austin & Ally) in the lead role. With overgrown blonde hair, hunched gait and a pair of those seventies specs so beloved of hipsters, Lynch certainly looks the part but there’s a sense, even on the strength of the teaser trailer, that he might not be quite up to the task.
Having said that, Zac Efron has reportedly been tapped to play Ted Bundy in an upcoming biopic (a piece of genius casting in itself, based off his harsher work in Neighbours), so this may simply be part of a growing trend of Disney Channel stars turning dark by playing serial killers. It could be brilliant.
Check out the trailer for yourself below.
The official synopsis for the movie is as follows:
Before Jeffrey Dahmer became a notorious serial killer, he was a shy, alcoholic teen who never quite fit in. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Derf Backderf, this is the true, haunting story of Jeffrey Dahmer in high school.
My Friend Dahmer is due in theaters this autumn. We’ll confirm the exact release date once we have it.
Stay tuned to Wicked Horror for more details on this and all the other must-watch horror movies coming this year.
