REVIEW | Ryan Morrissey-Smith
- Director: Mark Savage
- Writer: John Doolan, Jeff Miller
- Stars: Scott Asmar, Cat Black, Jabarri Bush, Sean Michael Conway, Chey Crieger,
So, you’d be forgiven to think that a film called Jeffrey Dollmer would be a very bonkers, low budget, splatter film with a few laughs but little redeeming features. Well, you’d be half right, Jeffrey Dollmer is bonkers and low budget but it is also more entertaining than it has any right to be.
Jeffrey Dollmer tells the story about a murderous doll who has the spirit of the cannibal, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The doll is originally found when Dahmer is arrested, and stealing borrowing from Chucky lore the Dahmer transfers his spirit into the doll (extra marks to the filmakers because Dahmer’s apartment is a very detailed facsimile). The doll is thrown out from the police evidence locker because there are storage space issues. The various characters/future victims come together when they get selected to go to a modelling contest out in the sticks. One of the models finds and then brings the discarded creepy ‘Dollmer’ with them, in turn dooming everyone.
The film recognises its own absurd, campy nature and leans into it and with that some of the comedy lands and some of it doesn’t. The small parts of gore are surprisingly good, a scene involving a severed penis, is sure to make you laugh and wince. The film does use AI in a few establishing shots and in one particular scene, which looks nothing like the rest of the film, these establishing shots and the short scene really add nothing to the film and serve to detract rather than enhance the film. The quicker this AI shit in films is done away with the better.
The titular doll is an erection getting, bloodthristy serial killer, albeit through a very campy prism. The doll’s movements and position are often hilarious and the kills are sometimes surpringly graphic. If you want a campy good time with some equally campy performances then Jeffrey Dollmer is worth a look.
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