Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil And Vile By Ted Bundy

Serial killers are individuals that the public has become fascinated with. Some of the most popular movies, TV shows, and documentaries are about murderers and serial killers. In order to increase the amount of revenue that a movie brings in, production companies can make movies inaccurate in order to make the film more interesting. This is not the case with a film about Ted Bundy, entitled Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. In the 2019 crime drama film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Theodore Bundy (Zac Efron) represents himself in court against a variety of kidnapping and murder charges while trying to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, Liz Kendall (Lily Collins). In the Joe Berlinger film, the multitude

According to Doughlas Samuel of the University of Kentucky, nearly ninety-five percent of psychologists in a study that examined Bundy’s psychological disorders found that he probably had narcissistic personality disorder (Samuel et al. 2). Research has revealed that individuals with narcissistic personality disorder can be perceived as more charming. An article authored by Mitja Back states, “First, narcissism leads to popularity at first sight. Second, the aspects of narcissism that are most maladaptive in the long run (exploitativeness/entitlement) proved to be most attractive at zero acquaintance. Third, an examination of observable verbal and nonverbal behaviors as well as aspects of physical appearance provided an explanation for why narcissists are more popular at first sight” (Back et al.). This makes sense because most people judge Bundy at first sight through news sources. Because it is highly likely that Bundy was a narcissist, it makes sense why the public found him attractive and likable. Efron encapsulated Bundy’s narcissistic and charming behaviors in an accurate way, while also making the film more interesting for the

Suspenseful films are films in which the final outcome is unknown. An article authored by Matthew Bezdek of Stony Brook University states, “Increasing the likelihood of a negative outcome, short of absolute certainty, causes participants to give higher ratings of suspense” (Bezdek 3). Given the fact that most people viewing this film have some idea of Ted Bundy and what he was convicted of, the presumed negative outcome would be that Bundy is not held accountable for his crimes. One example of the filmmakers increasing the probability of the negative outcome occurring is when Bundy escaped from local authorities. Given that Bundy was a law student, he was adamant about being a significant part of his own legal council. Because of this, he had the right to utilize the courthouse library. During a fifteen minute recess, Bundy requests to use a phone in the courthouse library. With a distracted guard, Bundy jumps out of the window of the courthouse and runs to the buildings in the town. He takes off his first layer of clothes, exposing a second outfit to disguise himself. The film also shows Liz, Bundy’s girlfriend, going through a problem with excess drinking because of the trials. Liz questions Bundy’s innocence. After six days, Bundy was recaptured. Because the film creates this sense of uncertainty—both about what