Serial killers are innately fascinating to normal people. Hours have been spent trying to understand the psyche of people like Ted Bundy, who had a couple strong relationships with women….and murdered dozens of younger women in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and and Vile ways, as Bundy’s judge said. Even though this particular Bundy movie cannot quite find its center, the inherent compelling story keeps the movie going at a passable but forgettable clip, or what Netflix calls, the sweet spot.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and and Vile starts at the point where Ted Bundy (Zac Efron) had been doing his fair share of murdering. In Seattle, he shacks up with Liz Kendall (Lily Collins), a struggling lonely single mother. During this time, rumors about a suave man cutting apart and assaulting women have made their way to Ted, who insists he’s innocent of these crimes despite repeated arrests and convictions. Lily, as more evidence and victims come forward, starts to see more clearly that this man who’s been so good to her might also be one of the most awful people in US history.
Much like the serial killer at its center, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and and Vile merges two things that don’t exactly make sense together. The story is based on the memoirs of Ms. Kendall, so the movie feels obligated to build the early parts of the story around her. However, the Netflix algorithm senses by the 30 minute mark that you’re ready to get into the true crime, so the story switches to Ted instead, taking us through his legal proceedings and prison escapes. This turn, while necessary for viewer interest, splits Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and and Vile into a tug of war; Ted’s trial dominates the story, but the movie feels obliged to cut back to Liz drinking without really showing any consequences of her actions. In short, the movie forgets she’s a character and each return just repeats what we saw before. In general, I believe there’s enough there for 2 Netflix films if they were smart, with maybe the same beginning. One, the Liz Kendall story, would cover how she picked herself up after finding out she was dating a serial killer: that’s a fine enough story! And the other can focus on Ted Bundy, and especially his relationship with Carol Ann Boone (Kaya Scodelario), with whom Ted manipulated and impregnated during his Florida trial. There’s a LOT of juicy material in that film that could use time to breathe and marinate on, but the movie’s divided attention never makes either Ted or Liz’s story watchable, but never really satisfying.
However, for the many true crime completists out there, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and and Vile is forgetful entertainment that only gives you the surface level horror of the Ted Bundy story. If you’re looking for more Netflix true crime stories after this, I would happily tell you they’ve gotten the formula right before. Watch American Vandal for a better, more fascinating example of how to tell a story about even a dumb criminal.