WASHINGTON -- "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile" follows the infamous Ted Bundy as he navigates prison and his many trials for capital murder and assault.
Usually films following the Bundy case start from the perspective of the victims and later tie back to Bundy, whereas this film takes a unique approach -- telling most of the story from the perspective of Bundy’s ex-fiancé Liz Kendall.
It should be noted that the film is based on Kendall's book about their time together and focuses on how her happy memories become marred by the allegations against him.
It paints the picture of a charismatic, kind, and charming family man -- a sharp departure from other films and documentaries which paint him as a deranged murderer.
The dichotomy of Bundy's personality is one of the many reasons he's one of the most famous serial killers in history. The film doesn’t shy away from emphasizing how charming and captivating he was, particularly when cameras were present.
On this note, Zac Efron faced an uphill battle. He does his best in the role, however, I found that my suspension of disbelief was never 100 percent there.
With such a recognizable face, Efron never completely transformed in the way I hoped. Of course, that’s not to say he was terrible. He effortlessly captured Bundy's charming persona during courtroom scenes, but those glittering moments were few and far between.
In telling a story that revolves around such brutal and sadistic murders, there was a surprising lack of violence in the film. I suppose this was done purposely to frame Bundy in the way he perceived himself: Innocent. It's a purposeful choice meant to subvert audience expectations, however, I felt myself itching for more scenes where Bundy loses his sanity.
I saw so much of the charming Bundy that the public got to see during his trials, but I found myself craving more scenes showing the monster within. I think the film would have been better served showing more glimpses of Bundy's depravity, giving the audience a little more Mr. Hyde to balance out the Dr. Jekyll.
Another issue I had was with the pacing of the film. Within the first half hour, Bundy has already been caught and imprisoned. One of the most compelling parts of the Bundy case is how long it took investigators across state and jurisdictional lines to connect all the murders back to him.
In this film, the "hunt" is not the central story driver and the second act of the film suffers for it. It drags on and seems to be moving toward no clear ending, though most people watching the film probably know Bundy's fate.
The best sequence in the entire film by far is the final scene between Bundy and Kendall prior to his execution. It is without a doubt one of the best composed sequences I've ever seen and took my breath away.
Watching this sequence, however, made me realize that this film had such potential to be a stunning piece of art. There is no lack of source material to draw from, yet the film was an underwhelming and watered down, though stylish, retelling of the mysterious Bundy case.
I'd give this film a 6 out of 10. It's a great watch if you’re a true crime fanatic, but for the casual fan like myself -- A disappointment.
