Personally I’ve always been a true crime fan, and Ted Bundy’s whole story is very fascinating to me. Most people are very aware of his crimes so it’s very safe to assume this isn’t a Disney movie. It is practically a fictionalization of his ‘normal life’ while he was murdering and raping young woman across America. Though some critics believe they’re romanticizing him in this movie, I think it displayed how Bundy tricked so many people. He’s known as being one of the most notorious serial killers in the United States because of the way he killed his victims and the way he charmed so many people even while he was being charged with murder. I would recommend watching ‘Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes’ before watching this movie because it shows the real story of his gruesome crimes while also showing his ‘confession’ tapes which really read into the type of person he was. It’s also very helpful if you didn’t know much about his crimes to watch that before this movie. All in all, I think it gives a great portrayal of how well Ted Bundy used his charm and charisma to play his victims, friends, and family. It contains only slight gore and violence with only a few sex scenes that aren’t even that explicit. Personally I think the age range for this all depends on how mature your kid is/you are. If you aren’t into true crime then I wouldn’t suggest watching it because it’s all based off of a very real and very gruesome man. Show
October 30, 2019 Amazing Movie!!Amazing movie with a chilling ending and great acting. There is actually not much violence shown except for at the end where a picture of a headless body is shown, a woman is hit on the head with a crowbar. There is a bit of nudity (bare bottoms are shown) and there is a sex scene, although no genitals are shown, and a scene where them about to have sex is heavily implied. There are a few f- bombs, but not much cursing overall. Ted Bundy's fiancee is shown smoking and drinking a lot from stress. In my opinion it could be rated pg-13 if not for the f bombs and the sex scene. And, of course, if it wasn't for the fact that it was based on a true story. What's the Story?Theodore Robert Bundy (Zac Efron) was the subject of police investigations in several states in the 1970s regarding kidnappings, rapes, and murders of young women. The title, EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE, is the murder trial judge's assessment of Bundy when he sentences him to death for his crimes. The surprise here, for those who didn't follow the case or read about it, is that for many of the years Bundy was on his crime spree through Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Florida, he was in a committed relationship with Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins), the single mom of a young girl. Bundy played the dutiful boyfriend and helpmate and was also a law student, just the kind of guy Liz thought of as marriage material. Liz is shocked when in 1975 Bundy is arrested in a traffic stop and charged with kidnapping. At first she's certain he could never do what they accuse him of, but it becomes clear that she has her suspicions when she sees a sketch of the suspect that resembles Ted and then learns the suspect drove a Volkswagen bug, like Ted's car. Later we learn that this is when she gives the police Ted's name. (Her actual memoir reveals she had clues to his criminal behavior before the arrest.) Soon he's picked up in state after state. He escapes from jail, only to be captured again. The story adheres closely to actual events, including verbatim dialogue from the trials and from recordings of Bundy's on-camera antics. Given the wide renown of this case and Bundy's execution, the only spoiler might be to describe how unlikely a suspect Bundy might at first have seemed to those who were close to him, which makes his story all the more scary. Is It Any Good?This is a solid biopic that calls into question what and who you can believe, precisely at a time in public life when knowing who to believe is difficult. Some facts of the Bundy case were left unspecified here, including his penchant for necrophilia and the decapitation of at least 12 of his victims. Director Joe Berlinger honed his skills in the documentary world making true-crime films, in one case helping free three wrongfully convicted innocents. Telling this story essentially from the point of view of Bundy's longtime girlfriend is a useful conceit as it underscores the duplicity of Bundy's seeming normality when he was with her, a persona that turned out to be the perfect place to hide his psychopathic inner self. No murders or rapes are shown in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, just crime scene photos, some narrated with a few hair-curling descriptions. This nudges an audience to wonder how the Bundy that Liz knew, the one we get to know, could have treated Liz and her daughter so kindly for so many years while viciously murdering women around the country. It's the notion that evil can disguise itself so easily that shakes a viewer's faith in the idea of unconditional trust and that makes this as much a horror film as a biopic. What's also disturbing is the hero worship some women expressed for Bundy during his hearings and trials, raising questions about the role of the public in elevating such people to celebrity level. Talk to Your Kids About ...
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Inclusion information powered by Did we miss something on diversity?Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by Where to WatchOur Editors RecommendBiopic MoviesBiographiesCommon Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. How accurate is Wickedly Evil Shockingly Vile?Unsurprisingly Berlinger's Netflix biopic is exceptionally accurate in most aspects. From the casting and character development to the plot and timeline, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile takes minimal creative liberties when depicting the crimes and conviction of one of America's most infamous serial killers. Is Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile worth watching?August 20, 2022 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… With its mouthful title and stunt casting, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile begins with the inventive notion of telling Bundy's story from Liz's point-of-view, but it gives up on that conceit within minutes. Did Zac Efron like playing Ted Bundy?Zac Efron may embody serial killer Ted Bundy a little too well in "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile," and he was concerned about that. "I had a lot of reservations about playing a killer and in this genre of film," he said in an interview on "The Graham Norton Show," which will air Friday night. How accurate is the Ted Bundy?Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile accurately portrays Bundy's escapes, assistance in his defense, and the media circus surrounding his trial. While a few creative liberties were taken, the film effectively portrays Bundy's charm and charisma and the unsettling feeling of his hidden dark side. |
