Bubblegum Disney popstar Ross Lynch goes about as far from Austin&Ally as you can get in portraying a budding serial killer in My Friend Dahmer.

The film is based on a book written by one of his acquaintences from high school whose character is played by Alex Wolff. Dahmer in his small town high school kid is seen as a loner and a misfit who would do all kinds of attention gettng things to try and fit in.

He was also the child of a breaking and then broken home with pparents played by Dallas Roberts and Anne Heche. Both were wrapped in their own issues and hd time for him.

This film is a chronicle of observed events, it offers no explanations, no whys and wherefores. It is a well cast pieceof work though it doesn't seem to have led to Ross Lynch being offered more serious roles. It may yet happen for him.

MY FRIEND DAHMER is a film that didn't interest me at all given the premise; after all, why make a serial killer movie without any killing? Isn't that missing the point? In the end, it turns out to be a surprisingly decent and engaging movie, one in which a tight and realistic script refuses to condemn and instead brings out the depth of the characters involved in the story. It also helps that the direction is fantastic, bringing to life a true story in the same professional way as other engaging movies like THE SOCIAL NETWORK and THE FOUNDER. Ross Lynch gives an excellent and immersive turn as a youthful Jeffrey Dahmer, messed up and slightly tragic, and the rest of the actors are equally impressive. By the nature of it, this is a movie where not much really happens, but somehow it grabs and hold you nonetheless.

Future serial killer Jeff Dahmer (Ross Lynch) is a weird high school senior derisively nicknamed Dumber. He likes to pick up roadkills and uses acids to strip away the meat. After his father takes away his work shed and his roadkill specimens, he starts acting out at school. He is befriended by Derf (Alex Wolff) and his friends who proclaim themselves as the Dahmer fan club. Derf uses Dahmer as a prop in his pranks. As Dahmer's home life deteriorates, he becomes more and more disturbed.

My first random complaint is that this needs more period music. It's a bit too quiet except for the prom. Music is always good to pump up the movie and helps to set the time period. Lynch's performance is on point. The movie may be better centering on Derf. He is after all the Me in My Friend Dahmer. Dahmer is one note whereas Derf has a revelation in the end which may work better if he's the protagonist. Overall, these are compelling characters and the movie works well.