Ted Bundy is examined from a new perspective in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a rare fictional film from director Joe Berlinger.
Instead of focusing on the flashy man at the story’s center, Extremely Wicked looks at the longtime girlfriend who was left in the lurch. Elizabeth Kloepfer had no idea that Bundy was committing the horrific crimes that made him infamous, at least not until the police picked him up and his segmented life came crashing together. As the trial unfolded, she learned more and more about the person she was with, and like so many, she found it hard to reconcile the charming, attractive man in front of her with his brutal actions.
The film is an odd turn for Berlinger, who traditionally makes documentaries. That said, he is known for true crime movies, particularly the Paradise Lost trilogy and Brother’s Keeper (please please please watch the latter if you haven’t; it’s a personal favorite). He’s had to adjust since his longtime co-director, Bruce Sinofsky, passed, so perhaps this switch to fictional films is part of that change.
The big headline, though, is Zac Efron going against type as Bundy. Seeing him as downright, well, vile will be a major shift for most people, and that discord should serve the part perfectly. But remember, this is actually Lily Collins’ movie as Kloepfer, and she will have to pull everyone’s attention away from Efron or the film will frustrate viewers.
A lot of chances are being taken with Extremely Wicked, but if they pull this off, it will be an exciting take on this story.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is directed by Joe Berlinger and stars Lily Collins, Zac Efron, and Kaya Scodelario. It will be released in the US on Netflix on May 3rd, 2019 and theatrically in the UK on May 3rd, 2019. For international release dates, click here.
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