Who doesn’t love a movie starring Zac Efron? The answer is: pretty much no one…until he stars as Ted Bundy.

Director Joe Berlinger’s exceptional film, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” transforms this childhood heartthrob into one of the most famous serial killers, Ted Bundy.  

Berlinger’s film examines Bundy’s life without scenes of his crimes, but focuses on his relationship with his girlfriend Liz Kendall (Lily Collins), and the deception Bundy takes on during his life.

The movie begins in the late 1960’s in Seattle where Ted Bundy and Liz Kendall are strangers at a bar. The young pair dance by a jukebox, and Bundy ends up staying the night and making her breakfast the next morning at her house. They go on to get engaged and plan a future together, when suddenly, Bundy gets pulled over with ropes, trash bags and a wrench in his car. He goes to trial, prison, which he escapes from twice and attempts to convince Liz that he is innocent.

The film compliments Berlinger’s documentary about Bundy, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.” However, the documentary and film have contrasting focuses. Instead of filming scenes of the horrific killings that Bundy committed like in the documentary, the movie focuses on Bundy’s deceptions of the people closest to him.

The movie does an exceptional job at examining Bundy’s manipulation and how his charm and good looks keep him safe for years, until he is finally caught. As an actor, Efron has never disappointed and that stays true in this film. In scenes in the courtroom, while speaking to the judge, Efron matches the persona of Bundy; a smooth talker with stone cold eyes.

Bundy’s charm affects his girlfriend Liz the most. To Liz, Bundy is the man who loves and cares for her and her child. I felt for Liz, she struggles with her emotions and abuses alcohol to cope with loving a killer. She portrays Bundy’s lover and her self conflicts terrifically.

In a few scenes, Berlinger included clips of college aged girls who attended the trial, similar to Bundy’s victims, who said they thought Bundy was “dreamy.” These girls accurately represent the disturbing charm that Bundy has on young women. At some points in the movie, I thought Bundy was really innocent, until I snapped back into reality.

Berlinger’s concept was definitely accomplished in my opinion. I was able to see a serial killer make people laugh, smile and be happy. Berlinger showed how Bundy used his charm and good looks to his advantage.

“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” shows us how close you can be to evil and not understand it. I appreciated the perspective that the movie showed: Bundy as a funny, charming young man who had a lot of secrets.

In my opinion, this movie is definitely worth two hours of your time. If you’re interested in crime shows, childhood heartthrobs and an old-fashioned retro setting, grab some popcorn and learn about Ted Bundy’s deceptive life and how easy it may have been to be caught under his spell.