The trailer for the Zac Efron’s new film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” an account of Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his longterm girlfriend was released on Saturday.
Now I had my reservations when I heard that the Zac Efron, who is typically typecast as the good looking frat boy, was taking up the role as America’s most notorious serial killer. After watching this two-minute trailer, my knee jerk reaction was an eye roll. It is easy to see why people have been taking to social media to criticise that the film romanticises a man that brutally murdered and raped women. When taking on such a delicate subject matter it is important to consider the family of the victims. Bundy confessed to 30 murders, but the real number of victims is considered to be much higher.
I feel so bad for the families of the victims that have to sit there and see their terrors revived as a witty romantic thriller https://t.co/uP4y03XSBU
— anime yitties (@peachesfrfr) January 26, 2019
Other Twitter reactions suggest that people are missing the point of the film, Ted Bundy was attractive, intelligent and charismatic and the film is simply reflecting this.
I’ve seen a few people missing the point of this trailer.
The reason the trailer seems to be painting him as this charismatic good guy is because Ted Bundy was a very charasmastic, nice all American guy who no one suspected.#extremelywickedshockinglyevilandvile https://t.co/mPXfW7Dpb9
— Redwood ? (@RedwoodCreate) January 25, 2019
My weekend just gone was spent watching the Netflix original documentary “Confessions of a Serial Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”. What I found deeply unsettling and what evoked anger is Bundy’s comments referring to women as “possessions”. For any film depicting this complex and disturbed character, it needs to be approached with sensitivity. Zac Efron flashing his six-pack and upbeat background music featured on the trailer seems to paint over these horrific crimes against women in true over glamorised Hollywood style.
Watch the trailer here:
