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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Starring: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, John Malkovich
Director: Joe Berlinger
Genre: Biographical crime thriller
Rating: 15+
RUNTIME: 108 Mins
In the lore of serial killer movies, none have tried so hard to make us feel sympathetic about a man who murdered 30 women as Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
The performances are great, and the film tries to do something new with the genre, but its misguided tone and an abrupt change of focus halfway through are hard to overlook, even if it’s somehow also one hell of a courtroom comedy.
We first meet Ted Bundy in prison, waiting to be executed. Zac Efron balances Bundy’s boyish charm and signature charisma while still channelling a devilish glint in his eyes and wearing a wicked smile.
Bundy is talking to his ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins), who seems to be as disgusted by him as she is, puzzlingly, drawn to him. From there we go back in time to 1969 in a college night scene and meet Bundy in his prime, a guy that has all the charm (and looks) of Zac Efron, who just needs one glance and a cheesy line to instantly win over single mother Liz.
He’s the guy who, on a first date, goes and makes breakfast for Liz’s baby and cares for her while mum is sleeping.
The filmmakers clearly attempted to portray Ted Bundy in the way Liz and the rest of the world saw him – in the way he fooled everyone. Unfortunately, leaving the condemnation of his character to an undertone that we’re meant to guess at doesn’t effectively portray the twisted juxtaposition of a charming, but clearly homicidal maniac.
During its first half, the film seems particularly interested in exploring the idea that Ted was actually innocent all along – that he was framed for his crimes. It’s a bold choice, and one that has to be navigated elegantly. But the script doesn’t give nearly enough focus to the women Bundy fooled to justify this particular direction, nor does it give closure to Liz’s narrative, which keeps her in the dark for the entire film. This exploration ends right as we begin to get close to any hint of character growth.
Efron effortlessly takes on the role of Bundy like he was born to play him, assuming his mannerisms perfectly, and at times can even fool you into thinking you’re watching the real deal. It’s chilling. Efron emulating Bundy so well makes it apparent how Bundy could fool so many into thinking he may have been innocent all along.
But despite Efron’s efforts to fully embody the psychology of the character, the film doesn’t allow us to see the full picture of Ted Bundy by making the choice to not show his actual murders. In the film’s opening acts, we’re meant to know Bundy only as far as Liz knew him at the time, and this takes away from the performance because we only see one side of him, and not the full truth of the character. It holds Efron back from fully exploring Bundy’s duality and darker side.
Once the film decides to move on from Liz’s narrative, the story turns into one about Ted Bundy’s adventures and escapes. What started as the journey of a woman realising she was fooled by a monster turns into a comedy about a serial killer fooling the authorities.
It isn’t until the third act, which recreates Bundy’s trial in Florida almost to the letter, that the film’s comedic tone finally makes room for an accurate portrayal of Bundy’s skill for manipulating crowds into liking him. And, though using comedy to lighten the story of a serial killer on-the-run didn’t fit, it was the only way to tell the story of the first nationally televised trial in which a law student-turned-killer dismissed his five court-appointed attorneys to defend himself.
The film becomes more focused, too, as it spends its remaining runtime in this one location and finally serves as a true actor showcase. But as talented as Efron is here – especially in the hysterical set-piece where Bundy mocks his own attorneys – it is John Malkovich as Judge Edward Cowart who steals the show.
Malkovich is as sassy as he is ruthless, and he is the only one who doesn’t buy Bundy’s act.
The filmmakers were clearly trying to comment on America’s obsession with Bundy, and his powerful skill for manipulating people, but the film actually ends up undercutting his evil in a way that they surely did not intend.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile has some interesting ideas about how little we know the people we love and about the power of a celebrity cult status. But no matter how good Zac Efron’s performance as Ted Bundy is, this is the tamest way to explore such a complex and interesting story.
Now showing in all Bahrain’s cinemas.
Kristian’s verdict: 3/5
