The film follows the lead up to Bundy's arrest while showing the other face he shows Kendall instead of focusing on the murders themselves. A route which you wouldn't have thought would have worked, in a way glamorising the man, however the film was very sensitively done. Bundy wasn't your typical killer, in real life he came across a handsome, guy next door type of guy which is the man Liz sees in him, while deep down knowing there was something not right but not wanting to admit to herself that the man she loves could do such horrid acts. Lilly Collins plays the role of Elizabeth Kendall so passionately, you could understand why she thought Bundy was such a nice guy. You felt the characters inner pain, the grief of his actions and this is only seconded by the amazing performance from Zac Effron.
Effron fitted into the role of Ted Bundy perfectly, which is showcased more when you see the real life footage at the end of the film. He managed to get into the mindset of someone you just wouldn't want to get into. Zac is generally a charismatic actor but I truly think this is going to shoot him into some more dramatic roles in the future. One actor I was shocked to see in this was a chubbier fully grown Haley Joel Osment who I honestly haven't seen in a film since The Sixth Sense and A.I. and he was pretty damn good, playing the boyfriend who has to watch as Liz goes through the ringer during the court-case.
One shocking moment for me, knowing the parts they don't really mention much in either the doc and the film is the line Liz says at the end asking what had happened to one of victims heads, finally making Ted reveal his true evil to her. Now if you don't know Ted Bundy was a Necrophile and it was documented that he did sexual acts to the severed heads of some of the victims. It send a genuine shiver up my spine.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile may be a subtle film that on the outside paints Ted Bundy as a heartthrob but don't get the film wrong this isn't what they are trying to do. Joe Berlinger has crafted a heartbreaking story from the eyes of a woman who only saw a loving family man who took her and her young daughter into his life and treated them with nothing but love, only to find out, like many families of sickening killers (BTK is a great example), that he is pure evil in the form of a handsome devilman.
This film has hit the top of my list of best films of 2019 so far and showcases Efrons' amazing acting skill while showing a different side to the real life of serial killers and the peoples lives they destroy.