Biographical films mostly offer audiences a glimpse into the lives of famous and sometimes infamous people of the past in an attempt to shed some light on the accomplishments, actions or crimes that they are known for. And that is exactly what happens in this gripping tell-all about one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, Ted Bundy.
In Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger and scriptwriter Michael Werwie chronicle the life of Ted Bundy through the eyes of his long-time girlfriend, Liz Kloepfer, who refused to believe the truth about him for years. The film boasts an impressive cast, with heartthrob Zac Efron in the role of Bundy, Lily Collins as Liz and acclaimed, Jim Parsons, as Florida prosecutor Larry Simpson.
The screenplay is based on the novel The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall and follows in the footsteps of a successful four-part Netflix series that examines Bundy through exclusive interviews with the killer himself after being sentenced to death in Florida.
“In this version of Bundy’s story, the audience experiences the unfolding of events as Liz perceived them – that Ted is caught in a Kafkaesque nightmare of unfortunate coincidences… an innocent man caught in the system. This allowed me to subvert the serial killer movie genre by providing the viewer with the tension of a wrongful conviction saga while slowly revealing the true meaning of what’s actually unfolding,” said Berlinger.
Exploring the inverse phenomenon of a woman who believes in her lover’s innocence, provides the movie with a relatable and emotionally impactful way into the story of Ted Bundy.
“By approaching the story from Ted’s long-time lover’s perspective, we are able to examine how a guilty man might present himself to the world and to experience the emotional toll on those who thought that they knew him best,” Berlinger added.
Bringing Bundy to life on screen is the talented Zac Efron, who said he felt a responsibility to make sure that the movie was not a celebration of Ted Bundy or a glorification of him. But, definitely, a psychological study of who the person was.
The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and Efron was praised for his portrayal of the infamous American serial killer who confessed to killing 30 women across several states. As part of his research, Efron spent time talking to people who knew Bundy.
“A lot of them were shocked. They could not believe that such a strait-laced, pleasant, smart, smiling, calm individual was responsible for such horrendous, horrific crimes. And that makes him all the more fascinating, because really he was loved by nearly everyone around him. Even people in prison enjoyed their time with Ted Bundy,” he said.
Lily Collins, who stars as Liz, slammed rumours that the story tries to romanticise Bundy’s persona by admitting that she had great difficulty getting into character for her role.
“I actually had an awful time prepping for it and woke up early every morning with visions of destruction around different rooms,” she said.
The film is distributed by Filmfinity (Pty) Ltd and will be released in South African cinemas on 3 May this year.
Watch the film’s trailer below:
