The new film By Any Means stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Beharie alongside Mark Wahlberg, but the casting and premise have sparked real tension within the Dahmer family. The film draws from the 1966 killing of Vernon Dahmer Sr., a voting rights activist whose murder became a flashpoint in the civil rights era. While some members of the Dahmer family attended the September 1st premiere, others are calling for a boycott.
The issue isn’t about acting talent. It’s about how Hollywood chooses to tell this particular story. By Any Means centers on a young Black FBI agent investigating brutal killings of civil rights leaders in 1960s Mississippi. When a leader close to him is killed by the KKK, he’s forced to partner with a mafia hitman (Wahlberg) in a hunt where justice and vengeance blur together. It’s a high-concept thriller pitch that, on paper, reads like a Hollywood formula.
But Dennis Dahmer Sr. and Ellie Dahmer—Vernon’s son and widow—see something different. In statements to The Root, they argue the film is riddled with historical inaccuracies and sidelines the core of Vernon’s legacy. The real story, they say, is about a man who died defending voting rights. He was killed by Klansmen who firebombed his home while he protected his family. That’s the tragedy worth remembering.
Dennis has been direct about what bothers him most: the film leans into the “white hero savior movie trope” that Hollywood loves. A fictional Black FBI agent takes center stage while Vernon’s actual sacrifice becomes secondary material. He put it plainly: “My father did not die seeking fame. He died from smoke inhalation and severe burns after defending his family during a gun battle with Klansmen who firebombed our home while we slept. He was targeted because of his unwavering belief that every American deserved the right to vote. If people leave this movie remembering someone else more than Vernon Dahmer, then history has not been served.”
The family also objects to how the film portrays Greg Scarpa, Wahlberg’s character. They say the film exaggerates his role in the actual investigation, inflating what was a minor part into something far more central. This isn’t just criticism—it’s a deliberate reframing of who deserves credit in a real historical moment.
Dennis and Ellie requested that the film include a prologue clarifying that this is a fictionalized account centered on a lesser event in the investigation. The studio instead added end credits citing an alleged testimony from the Scarpa family about an unnamed Black FBI agent. The family responded by launching a boycott petition and pushing for viewers to stay away until the prologue is added.
What makes this more complicated is that the Dahmer family isn’t monolithic. Vernon’s daughter Bettie attended the premiere alongside other extended family members. Director Elegance Bratton and producer Chester Algernal Gordon claim they conducted extensive research and met with members of both families and others connected to these events. Bratton has said: “Once I got a chance to meet and connect with the Dahmer family, it just meant a lot to me. I feel like Vernon Dahmer’s story is a story that people need to know, and I’m so honored that I get a chance to help the world become aware.”
The casting of Wahlberg adds another layer of complexity. His documented history of hate crimes and attacks on Black and Vietnamese people during his youth is impossible to ignore, especially when he’s portraying a character described as a racist mafia operative. That choice sits uncomfortably with the film’s central narrative about civil rights and racial justice.
This isn’t simply a disagreement over creative interpretation. It’s a fundamental question about whose stories get told, how they’re told, and who profits from them. Vernon Dahmer’s sacrifice deserves to be remembered clearly. Whether this film serves that purpose or obscures it remains the real debate.
★TR★
