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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
2019 111 min United States of America R 18+
★6.5
Drama, Crime
Director: Joe Berlinger
📖 Based on the novel
«The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy»
Trailers
EN
Teaser
EN
Description
A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.
Starring
Lily Collins
Actor
Zac Efron
Actor
Angela Sarafyan
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best Actor in Streaming Television
Key opinion
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile presents a divisive take on Ted Bundy, choosing to focus on his public charisma rather than his graphic crimes. While many viewers praise Zac Efron's compelling performance, critics are split on whether the film's refusal to depict the brutality of the murders serves as a clever subversion of the genre or an irresponsible sanitization of a serial killer.
| Originality | The film deliberately eschews graphic violence, choosing to maintain focus on psychological deception and public perception over physical brutality. | |
| Acting | Zac Efron delivers a transformative performance that effectively captures Bundy’s calculated charm and unsettling duality. | |
| Theme | The film’s refusal to show Bundy's crimes is divisive; some find it a respectful choice that avoids glorifying violence, while others argue it sanitizes the character and undermines the title’s promise. | |
| Screenplay | The film's tone is polarizing, oscillating between a compelling psychological study and a superficial, melodramatic biopic that lacks the depth of factual accounts. |