The trailer for Joe Berlinger's upcoming Netflix biopic, 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile', recently aired for the first time at the 2019 Sundance festival. It features ex-Disney star Zac Efron in the role of the convicted serial killer, Ted Bundy, with Lily Collins as his girlfriend, Liz Kendall. The trailer has received mixed reactions and sparked a considerable amount of controversy due to the blatant sensationalisation of this mass murderer's story.
Thirty years after his state-administered execution, the film goes back to explore Ted Bundy's real life, following his story through the eyes of his girlfriend, who remained by his side and was convinced of his innocence up until the man's final confession. Bundy confessed to having killed more than thirty women between 1974 and 1978 before his ultimate arrest and conviction in 1979, but the true number of his victims remains unknown. Throughout these years, Bundy travelled around more than seven states, stalking women and then luring them in with his seductive charm before raping, murdering, and often dismembering them. One of the most significant aspects of the man was his compelling personality and charismatic charm, which turned him into a strange kind of celebrity during the time of his trials, and which also had his girlfriend so convinced of his innocence.
The controversy regarding Berlinger's new trailer has surfaced due to the decision to focus on the murderer's charismatic side; not only is sex-icon Zac Efron cast in the role of the killer, but the trailer is complete with upbeat rock music, flirtatious romcom-style scenes with Collin's character, and even a uncomfortably coquettish wink directed straight at the camera. Even the title is outlandishly theatrical, reflecting the sensationalist approach to the entire biopic. Simply from watching the trailer, many people have responded with discomfort and shock at the blatant romanticisation of such a man, arguing that the focus on the serial killer's sex appeal entirely overlooks his horrific abuse of countless women.
The director, of course, has responded to the backlash, claiming that the sensationalist approach was not only intentional but necessary to reflect the way in which he was viewed by so many people at the time. Those who are defending Berlinger's choice of narrative focus claim that the story is told in such a way to explore the reasons why so many refused to accept his guilt, and to show how he managed to get away with his crimes for so long.
However, despite this reasoning, as the upcoming release of this trailer coincides with the release of a separate Netflix documentary about the same man, the streaming platform have had to take to their official Twitter account to remind users to stop buying into the romantic view of the character.
I've seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy's alleged hotness and would like to gently remind everyone that there are literally THOUSANDS of hot men on the service ? almost all of whom are not convicted serial murderers
? Netflix US (@netflix) 28 de enero de 2019
This is not the first time that Netflix shows have come under fire for their worrying romanticisation of horrifically abusive characters; there was similar controversy with 'You', the strange romcom-thriller which aired at the end of 2018, in which Penn Badgley played a fictional stalker and serial killer whose story similarly blurred the line between romance and murder. (Yes... apparently there is a line.) The problem is that this case is a little more concerning, because this time the character and all of his victims are all very real, so the glorification of those events on screen is more than simply uncomfortable.
Deadly Attractive
As Berlinger says, the romantic presentation of Ted Bundy in his film is indeed largely representative of the way in which he was seen at the time, especially as the film is told from the perspective of Bundy's girlfriend. However, perhaps the real fault lies not in the narrative style, but rather in the casting. Zac Efron has been an international heart-throb for more than ten years, ever since the release of the first 'High School Musical' film, and is adored by millions of fans worldwide. Casting such a universally romanticised actor, however incredible his acting abilities may be, in a role which already dances the fine line of serial-killer sensationalisation, is the most irresponsible mistake on the part of the creators. While they can claim (with some credibility) that the romanticisation of Ted Bundy is important and necessary to the plot of the film, there is no reasonable ground for having cast an international sex icon to play the part of this mass murderer: that is indisputably a step too far.
