Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Starring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, and John Malcovich
Directed by: Joe Berlinger
Rated: R
Troy Bolton is no more. Zac Efron is certainly breaking free of his High School Musical image with Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile as he portrays the despicable serial killer, Ted Bundy.
The film explores the relationship between Bundy and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall (Lily Collins), who seems to be oblivious to the murders due to Bundy’s charming personality.
Director Joe Berlinger takes a unique approach to the Ted Bundy murders with Extremely Wicked. Instead of showcasing the brutality of his killings, he films it as if we are watching through Elizabeth’s perspective. There is frequent talk of murder on the news, but it isn’t shown. Elizabeth sees these images, but they don’t match up to the profile of the Ted Bundy she personally knows. The Ted Bundy she sees is a man who is charming and kind to her and her daughter. Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or could he be capable of such atrocities?
In many ways, I think setting up the film in this way works well. I’ve heard so many stories about how charming Ted Bundy was, and that was part of his appeal. I’d never fully grasped it until I watched this film. He honestly had women believing anything he said. To see Elizabeth get so caught up and blind sighted by his twisted web is incredibly sad, yet it offers insight into how he was able to manipulate so many people.
While I do find it fascinating to see Ted Bundy through Elizabeth’s point of view, I feel the film could have done more to show his criminal side. As it stands, 90% of Extremely Wicked is Ted Bundy proclaiming he is completely innocent until a chilling final act. Considering the abhorrent person he was, the filmmakers could have showcased the darker side of his personality a bit more throughout the film. I appreciate that this film does not focus on many gory details (especially considering we should be respecting the victims and their families). Still, there is room to show both Ted Bundy’s charming persona and dark side.
Zac Efron nails this role though. It’s one of his strongest performances to date. As Bundy, he’s a master manipulator of every person he meets. He proclaims his innocence with desperate delusion. There’s no way he’s innocent, but he’ll proclaim it anyway because lying is his only lifeline. He’s downright chilling throughout the film.
Lily Collins expresses an impressive range of emotions portraying Elizabeth. She falls for Bundy’s charming persona, yet cannot shake a sense of suspicion when his name keeps popping up on the news. He knows exactly how to keep her around with his sick cycle of manipulation. The entire film builds up to the riveting final sequence between Elizabeth and Ted. The moment showcases two fantastic performances by Lily Collins and Zac Efron.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile offers a new look at Ted Bundy like we’ve never seen. Although the film could work a bit harder to show how dark he truly was, it succeeds in showing the dangers of his charming persona. Led by two great performances, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a haunting depiction of one of the world’s most notorious serial killers.
My Rating: 7/10
*All images belong to Netflix