This past January marked the 30th anniversary of the public execution of America's most notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. The anniversary has sparked a wake of interest in the American media as several new films and documentaries are premiering this year, chronicling the life, mind, and killings of Bundy. Netflix's "Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes" has been most recently criticized for its glorified portrayal of the murderer.
The four-episode miniseries evades most of the gory details of Bundy's murders and instead allows him to paint this picture of himself in the exact light that he so badly wanted to be portrayed. He wanted to be talked about and feared. He wanted to have a looming power over people and to have complete control over his victims. This man was a cold-blooded killer who selfishly stole the lives of dozens of innocent women and girls over the span of a decade. He was a bonafide monster. So, the one thing that I can't seem to figure out is why American media is so fixated on this man, and white male serial killers in general.
Bundy's evil legacy will be further memorialized in the upcoming film "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile", which will premiere on streaming services in May. The famous murderer will be played by everyone's favorite former-Wildcat and current-heartthrob, Zac Efron. Now don't get me wrong, I love Zac, and I have no doubt that he'll be convincing as the charismatic-killer. My concerns are mainly directed towards the romanticizing of Bundy's story.
I understand that casting a Hollywood-hunk helps bring Bundy's charming character to life. I just feel that the media is sexing this movie up, big time, and it's sending the wrong message to younger generations, especially young fans of Efron. I can't say I'm surprised that the filmmakers cast Efron in the role. Sex sells, and Zac Efron is about to be the salesman of the year.
Let's be real, Zac Efron could probably drive my car into a lake and I'd still be like: "Take your shirt off!" He's lovable! There's no denying it. I worry that Efron's suave charm will bleed too far onto his depiction of Bundy, and it will influence the feelings of those who have never heard of the killer until now. It's not hard to crush on a deadly murderer when he's got smoldering blue eyes and unmistakable sex-appeal.
I'm sure this film will be a huge success, and Efron's portrayal of Bundy will win the hearts of serial killer-lovers everywhere. If we're being honest here, I'm absolutely going to watch the film despite my indifferent feelings on the casting. I, like many people, have a strange fascination with criminal minds. However, I'll be conscious to not let Efron's good looks and bad-boy demeanor to not influence my true perception of Ted Bundy, who truly was extremely wicked, shockingly evil, and vile.
