Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a drama-mystery based on the true events of infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. This movie shows Bundy’s personal life with his girlfriend, but also shows his trial from his arrest to his execution.
The movie begins when Ted meets his girlfriend, Liz Kendall; in which they connect instantly. He is charismatic, attractive, smart, and smooth-talking. So when Liz and Ted start dating, she has no idea he is a stone-cold, animalistic serial killer. Once he first gets arrested as a suspect of attempted abduction with intent to kill, she stands by his side the whole time, even when he is declared guilty. After years of being in prison, Liz’s hope for Ted is hanging by a thread. But even after she breaks up with him, she pays attention to every trial, feeling his guilt more than he does. By not letting go of Ted, she continues to drive herself insane. Ted continues to plead innocent, and Liz stays in denial that he committed the crimes.
Zac Efron’s acting greatly expresses Ted Bundy’s manipulative and deceptive personality. I had my doubts when Efron was casted Bundy, but he defied expectations. The costume and makeup artist also made him look just like Bundy. He greatly illustrates Bundy’s cleverness and manipulative behavior using strong emotion in his acting.
Director Joe Berlinger tells Bundy’s story in a unique way. He reenacts real events, like interviews and conversation. He also uses real news clips and picture evidence during the movie, making it more realistic and accurate. The way the story is narrated makes Bundy out to be innocent until the end, which keeps watchers that don’t know the true events of Ted Bundy on edge. The script does an amazing job of expressing Bundy’s manipulative, two-faced personality.
I would rate this movie 4 out of 5 stars. Efron’s acting and the script greatly illustrates Bundy’s personality traits. The execution of Bundy’s story makes it even more interesting and emotional than it already was. I would definitely recommend this movie to any true-crime fan.
