Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile Review: Zac Efron Knocks It Out Of The Park

Ted Bundy and his heinous crimes are once again in the spotlight. There are not one, but two, current NetFlix series about him. The first is the four part "Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes". See my review here The second is the movie "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile". Of the two, I greatly prefer the movie. Interestingly, both have the same director-- Joe Berlinger.

There isnt much new to be learned about Bundy that hasnt already been said. "The Ted Bundy" tapes seems like a cash grab to me. After four hours nothing new is revealed from the killer's words. "Extremely Wicked" takes a different approach. There are no murders to be witnessed here. Instead the movie investigates probably what is the least known aspect of his life-- Bundy's relationship with girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (played by Lily Collins). It is loosely based on her book "The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy". We see the killer through her eyes. Ted seems like an ordinary guy. That is all the more alarming. There are no warning signs of the serial killer.

The title of the movie comes from the words of Judge Cowart (played here by John Malkovich). The dialogue of the court scene is taken almost verbatim from the actual proceedings. I've always had an issue with some of Cowart's comments to Bundy-- especially this one. "You've have made a good lawyer I'd have loved to have you practice in front of me. But you went the wrong way partner... Take care of yourself". Seriously? Why are you telling a man who killed at least 30 women to take care of himself? But it seems that, after listening to more from him, Cowart just had a very colorful way of speaking.

Zac Effron does an EXCELLENT job of depicting Bundy (right down to his exact eye movements from his recorded interviews). A word of caution though. If you're waiting for Bundy to jump up and confess, you're going to be disappointed. This is Bundy doing what he did best-- lying, deflecting the truth and snaring anyone who gets too close.

We also see Ted's two escapes from prison and his eventual capture in Florida. There we meet the woman that would become Ted's wife (thanks to him declaring them married during his trial). Carole Ann Boone moves to be near him and has a child by Bundy (assumedly by bribing prison guards for a little privacy). I seriously feel sorry for that child given her parentage.

The Bundy trial was the first to be nationally televised. This adds to the spectacle and makes us question how such heinous crimes can be documenting without popularizing/glamorizing the killer. Should murders be treated as entertainment? That's a thought provoking question which unfortunately we dont have time to probe here.

The final scene between Liz and Ted is a harrowing one. She visits him in prison where she tries to help the police find a victim's head. Ted again professes innocent until he finally writes on the condensation on the window one word-- "hacksaw". That scene was a real gut punch. What the movie doesn't tell us is that IRL Ted disposed of the head in Liz's fireplace. In this case, the truth is always stranger than fiction.

Grade: 5 Monsters (out of 5). Excellent!!! "Extremely Wicked" tells the story from the perspective of Ted Bundy's long time girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer . There is very little about her in the media (that I know of). She is the person who eventually turned Ted in to the police. Lilly Collins does a great job of portraying her conflicted emotion.

To be honest, I didnt think much of Zac Efron's performances before viewing this movie. Sure, he's a pretty face and all. But my opinion has completely changed. He embodies Ted Bundy in every way-- including his physicality and charm. Some has complained that this movie adds to the "Ted Bundy As Sex Symbol" mythology. I think it just accurately depicts the attraction (and lack of basic common sense) that some women had towards him. And that may be almost as scary of the rest of the movie.