Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile | Film Review

Hey Guys x

Like most people, I heard about this film ages ago, and the name of it stuck in my mind (probably because it's so long!), so once it came out on Sky Cinema, I watched it right away.

This film tells the story of Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) and the many awful crimes that he committed through the eyes of his girlfriend, Elizabeth 'Liz' Kloepfer (Lily Collins) who refused to believe the truth about the crimes.

This film is a weird one for me. It's based on a true story, as many movies are, but when you research Ted Bundy, what he did and the circumstances surrounding the movie, it doesn't just feel 'based' on a true story, it feels like you're watching hidden camera footage of what actually happened. And as entertaining as that is, it's also really unnerving.

The movie does a really good job of allowing the audience to understand Liz's point of view without making us feel sympathetic towards Bundy, which is something that I know a lot of people were worried about when the film came out.

Having said this, as much as you don't feel sorry for him, it's really important that the film portrayed him as someone charismatic and charming. Even though you know that he did these things, because it's been highly publicised, there's still a part of you that thinks 'if I was in her situation, I'd probably believe him too'. Not only is he swearing up and down that he didn't do what they're accusing him of, but he's also giving somewhat plausible, if slightly far-fetched, reasons that he is being accused. In a way, seeing him in this light, while knowing what he actually did, just emphasises what a psychopath he is.

The fact that the film was made from the point of view of Bundy's girlfriend (based on a book that she wrote about him) is really interesting, because it adds a completely new dynamic to the usual serial-killer documentary.

Because the film was from Liz's point of view, another really interesting thing about it is that, for almost the whole movie, they didn't show any murder scenes. There was only one moment in the whole film, near the end, when we actually see something that Bundy did, and this was perfect. By doing this, the director ensured that the film wasn't about Bundy and his crimes, but rather the way that he managed to get away with things for so long, and how his actions affected Liz.

However, despite all of this, the events of the film happen ridiculously quickly, to the point where you hardly get to know Liz at all by the time Bundy has been arrested for the first time. For a film that's supposed to be from her point of view, I would have liked to know a lot more about her.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend the movie, whether you know a lot about Bundy and his crimes or not. It's an interesting look into the mind of someone who fell in love with a psychopath/sociopath, with amazing actors, and a really good script.

6.5/10