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The title of the latest film about the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is Extremely nasty shocking bad and bad, but they probably could have made it even longer by adding the words: And dull.
Documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger has made a well-intentioned and thankfully non-exploitive version of Bundy's disgusting and gloomy journey told by his girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall's point of view, but he offers no novelty in the past tales to stay sitting through this depressing revealing saga. I must admit that this film was shown before even being shown at Sundance and that he did not realize what I was seeing. So I was able to let it unfold for a while before realizing that Tac, which star Zac was playing, was Bundy the man who made a confession on his deathbed just before his execution in 1989, admitting to having killed 30 women in a series of crimes in the 1970s. But one actually thinks that the number is much, much higher.
It was an advantage to see things that way, because otherwise I knew very well the story of Bundy from past projects such as the 1986 Mark Harmon mini-series and, of course, the media coverage of his trial. . Nevertheless, the new movie was played flat enough for me and his discreet approach, while admirable for its seriousness, simply did not take off in a memorable way.
That said, one aspect really works for me and is the 1979 lawsuit itself, the first televised trial and the one that's turned into a circus with Bundy, a guy with a look and idol charm of the morning, who defends herself in front of a lot of spectators who, believe it or not, behaved like groupies. Efron succeeds in shining here and, using his own charisma, invests Bundy with a certain (hard-to-say) sympathy that actually explains why he could still command this kind of sequel, despite the horrors he has committed.
Berlinger – who also has a four-part movie on Netflix (which also took this film to Sundance as a companion) with the real contract itself called Conversations with a killer: Ted Bundy's tapes – Effectively manages the narrative version proficiently, particularly in the cast of Efron and Lily Collins, as an increasingly troubled friend who has gradually become aware that she is not the best. she lived with a monster despite her vehement denials. Bundy's innate charm has taken him far, but not enough, as shown by his clash with the judge, nicely played by an energetic John Malkovich.
However, at almost two hours, this movie is uneven and could probably have used a little more action, so to speak. The murders themselves are barely visible, so that the "wicked, evil and mean" aspects are mostly discussed, which can become a bit tedious. The intentions are good and it is difficult to argue for a less sober approach, but that's it. In the end, what is the purpose of all this in 2019?
Michael Werwie did an admirable job in adapting Kendall's book, Phantom Prince: My life with Ted Bundybut frankly, I hope this is the last attempt to tell his story. You want to wash your hands afterwards when you consider all the destroyed lives, including that of Bundy that has been promising. In addition to Efron, Collins and Malkovich, Haley Joel Osment and Jim Parsons have done interesting work among those who play smaller roles. However, if the saga of Bundy still interests you, it is worth considering as another way of telling the story. It is certainly respectable.
Berlinger, Nicolas Chartier, Michael Costigan, Ara Keshishian and Michael Simkin are producers. Netflix has a very limited theatrical production starting today, day after day with its debut streaming. Check out my video review above, including scenes from the movie.
Do you plan to see Extremely naughty Shocking Evil and Vile? Tell us what you think.
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