Emily
Ted Bundy seems to be everywhere these days. Featured in podcasts, TV shows and films, the infamous serial killer has become a favorite of True Crime fans. Known for his good looks and his frighteningly charismatic persona, countless storytellers have longed to take their own stab at understanding more about the motivations of one of America’s most notorious and frightening murderers.
“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is Netflix’s latest Bundy release (the documentary “The Bundy Tapes” was released earlier this year). Both titles were directed by Joe Berlinger who is no stranger to True Crime having made documentaries like “Paradise Lost” and “Brother’s Keeper”. This film, starring Zac Efron as Bundy, attempts to provide a wider look at those affected by his murder spree, with a strong focus on his long time girlfriend Liz Kendall (Lily Collins). “Extremely Wicked” features some intriguing character and acting moments, but ultimately misses its mark by not even attempting to convey the horrifying nature of Bundy’s crimes and not remotely living up to the description in the title.
The film opens on a heavily guarded jail, where Bundy is being held. Liz has come to meet him, but is obviously reserved about the encounter. Sensing her hesitation, Bundy asks her to remember when they first met. A flashback reveals a time when the pair were deeply in love. He was patient, kind and unlike any man she had ever met. As a single mother, she wasn’t used to men accepting her or her life, but Bundy was different. These opening scenes offer us a look at a Bundy we don’t often see, one who was gentle and could be trusted with caring for Liz’s young daughter. It’s easy to see why so many women would’ve been attracted to the law student and how they might miss the warning signs of the danger lurking inside.
The couple seem almost unstoppable and without a care in the world until one day, Bundy is pulled over and subsequently arrested for the assault of a young woman. This arrest and conviction leads to his name being tied to a series of other serious crimes, all of which he claims to have no part in, but would eventually lead to his demise by electric chair in Florida in 1989.
The source material for the film is “The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy” written by his real-life girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer. At the start of the film, we believe that the script will follow the book and tell the story from Liz’s perspective, but as the film proceeds, Liz’s character becomes increasingly passive until she all but disappears. She is replaced by Bundy’s 1979 murder trial (one of the first to be nationally televised) during which Bundy’s antics sparked a media frenzy and earned him a large following of female groupies.
Zac Efron’s portrayal of Bundy is more self-assured than menacing. Efron certainly gives the role his best effort, but the film is far too fragmented for its own good, moving from one plot point to the next without fully realizing the characters’ emotional arcs. Even in his darkest moments, we fail to feel the real weight caused by Bundy’s reign of terror because we never hold onto one dark moment long enough. Efron’s best scenes are instead seen when he portrays the love that Bundy felt for Liz and the heartbreak he feels after being locked away from her forever. Unfortunately, we see Liz’s primary response to his betrayal as a refusal to answer his phone calls or numbing herself with alcohol, giving us very little insight into her perspective or emotional state.
The film has its moments, but in the end is certainly hurt by the decision to not adequately portray Bundy’s crimes (many of which happened before his initial arrest). While many would argue that showing these moments would be exploitative, without them it’s difficult for the audience to fully comprehend the psychological profile of a killer that the filmmaker wanted to craft. “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile” leaves most, if not all, of those descriptors out of the film and leaves viewers wishing that more of Bundy’s nightmare inducing life had actually been explored.
