The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes: Netflix release date, trailer, how to watch Conversations with a Killer documentary

The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, a new documentary about the eponymous serial killer, is coming to Netflix on Friday 7 October.

The documentary, which is comprised of three episodes, is the latest instalment in the Conversations with a Killer series. The basic conceit of these particular documentaries is that they offer the chance for the viewer to listen to the killer themselves.

Here’s everything you need to know about Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.

What is it about?

The official Netflix synopsis promises that Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes offers “never-before-heard audio interviews between Dahmer and his defense team, delving into his warped psyche while answering these open questions of police accountability through a modern-day lens.”

According to Netflix, the series hopes to ask “why Dahmer, who had been convicted of sexual assault of a minor in 1988, was able to avoid suspicion and detection from police?”

Whether it’ll be a substantive engagement with the systemic failings of policing, both practical and conceptual, or a lurid fetishization of a serial killer is anyone’s guess, of course.

Who features in the documentary?

The series uses recorded interviews between Dahmer and his defence team.

Dahmer was convicted of murder in 1991, charged with the death of 16 individuals between 1978 and 1991 (he’s understood to have been responsible for the death of a 17^th victim, though wasn’t charged for that murder).

During his trial, Dahmer’s defence team argued that he could not be considered legally sane, and should receive a more lenient sentence as a result. Conversations with a Killer will delve into these legal strategies and how they were presented to Dahmer.

Is there a trailer for The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes?

Yes, there is. You can watch it right here.

How many episodes is The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes?

There are three episodes to this instalment of Conversations with a Killer, each around an hour long.

Who directs The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes?

The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes was directed by filmmaker Joe Berlinger. It’s the latest in a series of true crime documentaries from Berlinger, who’s previously helmed two other Conversations with a Killer features – one covering Ted Bundy and one covering John Wayne Gacy.

Berlinger has long focused on true crime documentaries, with other notable films of his including Brother’s Keeper and Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.

He also directed the biopic Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, which starred Zac Efron as Ted Bundy.

Where can I watch previous instalments of Conversations with a Killer?

Previous iterations of this documentary – looking at Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy – are still available on Netflix.

You can also watch the ridiculously titled Ryan Murphy/Evan Peters series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – on Netflix still.

Why should I watch Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes?

It’s probably one for the more committed true crime afficionados – fans of Joe Berlinger’s previous documentaries will likely also want to make time for this.