‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile’ Review: A Memoir of Missed Opportunities

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile may be a bit more pleasant than the implications of its title. But, it has little success in exploiting the opportunities given these kinds of film. Ted Bundy’s life as a serial killer and the fascination of people towards him in the 1970s when his arrests and trials began is no secret. The case’s atrocious qualities and Bundy’s charming and sickeningly pleasant persona catapulted this man into global stardom even years after his sentencing. Everybody who’s heard of him knows what he did and how horrifying he is. This is where Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile comes in promising to bring a new perspective to light.  

Berlinger’s film is based on an autobiography titled The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy written by Bundy’s ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall (real name Elizabeth Kloepfer). And it tries to explore Bundy’s life through the eyes of a loved one. However, as appealing as this concept may be, it is this very promise that takes the movie in a downward turn. Despite Zac Efron’s and Lily Collins’ hair-raising performances, Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile fails to fulfill its promise and relies on the juicy drama of remake of Bundy’s media exploits.

A Film Lost in Focus

The first act of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile explores Bundy and Kendall’s meeting and their relationship during the course of Bundy’s murder spree. It showed what Bundy was like when he wasn’t out bludgeoning young girls to death. From his girlfriend’s perspective, he was this warm, loving, charismatic guy who can’t seem to do any wrong. Even after he was arrested the first time, he still managed to make Kendall believe he was innocent. He made her believe he was being set up. And at this point, there was hope yet to see Bundy in a new light. It doesn’t matter that the extent of Bundy’s crimes wasn’t made for all to see the carnage. But, we were given a glimpse of his intellect and his manipulative nature using his charms. Unfortunately, the beginnings of this deeper insight from Kendall’s view was cut quick.

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Bundy’s first arrest marks the narratives downward turn losing focus and losing Kendall’s perspective altogether. The film turned towards a parade of reenactments of Bundy’s most memorable moments in the course of his trials and arrests. Starting from his first trial, his first escape, and all up to the moment he served as his own counsel in court. Kendall was reduced to a torn miserable version of herself who rarely spoke about anything else but Ted and her misgivings about him. The focus on her perspective as the film promised vanished. And it only became a very minor subcurrent in the overall running time of the film.

Shifting Back To Old Perspectives

Collins’ portrayal of the suffering single mother was no less than exceptional. However, the film failed at exploring the opportunity of the psychological depth presented at that moment.  It was later revealed in the film that Kendall was the one who called in Bundy’s name. And in reality, she was only one of four who gave Bundy’s name to the police, all of whom are close to Bundy. However, she chose to stay. This is where the film decides to cut off and revert back to what the world already knew.

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Kendall stayed with Bundy for quite a while even with her doubts about him. And though the film made it obvious how she slowly succumbed to self-destruction, it didn’t give justice to all the missing pieces from her life with him. Kendall’s memoir details years of their relationship. And along with the doubts and clues piling up, there was also emotional abuse. What kind of mental and emotional torture could she have endured as the clues and doubts piled up over the years? What could it have been looking into the eyes of a man you love who you also believe is a killer?

It’s supposed to be a haunting but unique insight into the mind of a killer from the eyes of a victim. Kendall survived a horrific tale she didn’t even know she was living. Not only is Kendall’s own story told, but, it also gives a better look at how a man so savage and horrific can walk among us without suspicion. It would’ve put a little more background to Bundy and the extremes that his actions take.

The Better Points of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Though Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile failed in retelling an over told story in a new light, it did succeed in keeping the story from being sensationalized. Berlinger’s experience in documentary making kept him straight with the facts. And his cinematic flare succeeded particularly in the last part of the film with Bundy’s own defense and the moment the verdict was announced.

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Efron’s acting really took flight in this film. He marvelously portrayed the charming, sexy guy that everyone wants with a sinister side lurking so near the surface. He manages to combine the intellect and the charm into a deadly force that defines the monstrosity of Ted Bundy. One of his most memorable performances is the part after the delivery of his sentence where he delivers a harrowing statement to the court. As the camera shifted closer and closer to Efron’s eyes, the darkness skimming the surface wasn’t hard to miss. What further boosted his performance is Collins’ own excellent performance. Collins’ every move and turn was laced with the desperation and the sorrow of a woman who’s afraid to face the worst. And her chemistry with Efron was unparalleled. It reached the point that the audience was swept in the facade of their love. It made the relationship all the more believable and Bundy’s humanity a lot more certain. Unfortunately, two great actors can’t save a story lost in its own mishaps.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Overall Verdict

One thing you can really appreciate in Berlinger’s film is that it serves the facts of a killer as they are. Sadly, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a film that missed the right marks and settled to be a mediocre remake of what the world already knows. The film promised a new perspective and a tribute to Bundy’s victims. But, in the end, it all seemed to be an afterthought. Once again, Bundy and his charms took center stage. Even without the gory details, it had the potential to be a thrilling study of the killer’s mind through the eyes of a victim.  Sadly, it only amounted to be a memoir of missed opportunities that other films that are seeking the same promises can hopefully fulfill.