Story: Even among his serial killer peers, Jeffrey Dahmer stands out as beyond depraved and sadistic, to say the least. Dahmer would of course murder a number of people, have sex with their dead bodies, and even eat some of those victims, before he was finally brought down. He would experiment with ways to damage the brains of some victims while they were still alive, in a twisted attempt to create a submissive, sexual zombie. While the facts of the case are well documented and widely examined, Fresh Meat delves once again back into Dahmer’s story, taking us back to how it all started and giving quicks at other infamous cannibals.

Entertainment Value: I have to be upfront and say that Fresh Meat does not have any insight into the Jeffrey Dahmer case, but that is no surprise, since the case is decades old and one of the most infamous, reported on serial killer cases ever. Even so, true crime fans can never get enough of these stories, as evidenced by the stream of documentaries and podcasts that explore these older cases. And those podcasts are relevant here, as some of the interview subjects are true crime podcast hosts. These folks are used to narrate the tragic trail of destruction left behind by Dahmer, while providing some of their own personal takes as well. Again, not new stuff or any kind of ground breaking insights, but fresh voices do help liven up the well tread material.

In addition to the interviews with the podcasters, we hear from some of Dahmer’s neighbors and others related to the area where the crimes happened. One of Dahmer’s neighbors wrote a book about his experiences and he provides his personal memories of Dahmer, including some interesting facts that made me want to check out his book as well. I was especially interested in the comments from a drag queen who frequented the same bar scene as Dahmer, as that interview provided a look into his social conduct and how he scouted potential victims. A host of archival materials are also shown, from news footage to crime scenes videos and beyond, helping give a more inclusive look inside these horrific crimes and inside Dahmer’s personal space. Fresh Meat isn’t as polished or slick as some true crime documentaries, but it is well made and covers a lot of ground, so fans of serial killer documentaries will likely find this worthwhile.