Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (4 Stars)

This is the third film in the Stuttgart Nights Festival.

The film's shockingly long title, which isn't shown on screen until the end of the film, is a quote from the judge when sentencing Ted Bundy to death.

The film shows Ted Bundy's life in episodes from 1969 to 1980. None of Bundy's killings are shown. For the first hour of the film this disturbed me, and I thought I was missing something. Then I got used to these omissions as I realised it wasn't what the film was about. The film shows Ted Bundy through the eyes of those who knew him, in particular the women who loved him. They didn't see his murders, and they didn't even believe they happened, so they aren't shown.

Throughout the film Ted Bundy, admirably portrayed by Zac Efron, is a smooth-talking charismatic man who always proclaimed his own innocence. Like the real Ted Bundy, if I hadn't known his background I would have been seduced by him and believed his innocence. How could such a perfect gentleman be a killer? It must be a mistake.

This is a film that I need to see again.