For all of you saying that Zac Efron played Ted Bundy as a charming guy and how wrong that is because he killed over 33 women, I have news for you. Ted Bundy WAS a charming guy. It's how he got out of trouble, smooth-talked his way out of any situation he was in, hell, it's how he got over 33 women to be alone with him. Bundy was charismatic, had the ability to change his appearance, but he was also exactly as the title of the movie says, extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile. Bundy was smart enough to have believable stories, change his appearance, and attend law school. The judge at his trial even said that it was a shame he was being convicted of the crimes he was on trial for because Bundy would've made a great lawyer (as he was representing himself). He even married a witness on the stand in the middle of it. He convinced the court to let him have free range of the courthouse library unsupervised and without shackles. The man had rage though. To do what he did to those women, not once, not twice, but over thirty times is unforgivable. Ted Bundy was cocky, brutal and an animal. The movie doesn't play up Bundy's craftiness nearly enough, but it does spare you having to be put through the murders he committed. He was calculating and conniving, playing out as much as he needed to in order to get away with what he needed. At the end of the day, Ted Bundy truly thought he would get away with murder. Zac Efron plays the desperation of a crazed, and manipulative man extremely well. If everyone is fawning over Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, then Efron did his job. There were women at the actual trial who thought Bunday was too good looking to commit the crimes he was being accused of. He plays up the confidence of Bundy very well. For someone who began their career on the Disney channel, Efron has come a long way. The rest of the case, in particular Kaya Scodelario as Carole Ann Boone and Jim Parsons the prosecutor. Pretty much anything to do with the entirety of the televised trial, I thought was brilliant. As is the real thing if you've ever seen it. The major part of this case that has always fascinated me, is Carole Ann Boone. She believed in Ted's innocence, married him, had a daughter with him. Even after Ted Bundy finally admitted to killing approximately 30 women, Boone stood by him.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile itself is incredibly ambitious, but only manages to paint Bundy in a positive light without the horror of his crimes to balance everything out. I'm not suggesting the film should've shown us the murders, but it seems to just have glossed over all the horrifying details.
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