There were high expectations for this docudrama about serial killer Ted Bundy, which was based on the book, “The Phantom Prince”, written by Liz Kendall, the woman who lived with him for several years. As adapted by Michael Werwie, and directed by documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, it was given the awful title, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Not surprisingly, the events in the film, and the time frame, are all viewed from the perspective of Kendall.

Unfortunately, those high expectations were not met. There is a flatness to the story, and its resemblance  to countless generic Lifetime TV films is unavoidable. It may be that seeing the monster through the eyes of the duped female has become a kind of template for such material. We know that the guy has to be charming, and have a big, big smile that has to be flashed incessantly to explain how such an intelligent woman could be taken in. As they always are.

Still, there were reasons to think that Bundy’s story, with its near historic bodycount from such deviants, could be told with some degree of insight and dramatic punch. And it would seem that the talented and versatile Zac Efron was the perfect choice for Ted. As one of the film’s producers, he must have seen that too.

 

But whatever interest the book may have had (I haven’t read it), the galumphing screenplay turns it into a bore. The film jumps around in time to various incidents in the couple’s relationship, apparently to keep the audience alert. It starts with Liz confronting Ted in prison; their last meeting. Then we jump to their first meeting. Liz is with her girlfriend Joanna, at a bar, checking out the guys. Ted comes over, they dance, they kiss, she invites him in and, before you know it, they…but wait! She sleeps in his arms, yet he doesn’t touch her. Instead, she wakes up to find him fixing breakfast for the baby.

What a guy! But instead of establishing dramatic interest, the cute setup telegraphs the whole story. After all, the facts are known already. The only dramatic element is seeing the slow process of her awakening to the horrible truth.

While the superficiality of the story rather quickly dawned on me, I hoped to get some style and, at the least, professional energy to appreciate. But Jim Parsons and Dylan Baker are glaringly wasted as prosecutors. We also see a procession of grim defense lawyers, both bearded and unbearded, who blend into each other. All the while, a brave Liz tearfully tries to avoid the inevitable truth. With Ted in prison, Liz succumbs to a dull, paunchy rival; but he’s a decent guy. The girlfriend from the beginning, Joanna, keeps showing up to offer support and to warn that only more pain can come from keeping hope alive. Dutifully played by Angela Sarafyan, the role is probably the most thankless in the film.

About midway, another dramatic thread is introduced when, Carole, an old girlfriend bumps into Ted and Liz in public. As played by Kaya Scodelario, she attempts to recapture the hunk by giving him total support while he’s facing trial and, later, when he’s in prison. She eventually married him and had his child. But, once again, a competent actress is stymied by a role that is wan, one-dimensional and repetitive.

But finally, some dramatic juice is injected at the murder trial in Florida. Here, Efron is finally inspired to turn up the power a bit. Bundy is desperate, and, true to character, he becomes even more cocky and obnoxious. John Malkovich adds some welcome humor too, as the judge. But it’s too late to save the film. With the exception of a few silent seconds late in the film, the murders are absent, even in description, which almost makes Bundy look like a normal cheat, a tax evader.

The dramatic “climax”, if you can call it that, takes us back to the film’s first scene, where Liz sees him for the last time before his execution. Poor Lily Collins, having to play the whole film as the dullest doormat imaginable, finally gets a scene where some rage and shame come out. But the payoff, with Ted shamed into a moment of decency, is pathetically unbelievable.

I remember Efron in We Are Your Friends, which was a pleasant entertainment. He played an ambitious DJ, but with some moral fiber. Still, there were surprising moments when Efron seemed to project a real layer of menace to the character. It unsettled, but added interest to an underwritten role. But none of that here. Playing a legendary serial murderer and pervert, he comes off as a good looking putz.

Still, the blame rests squarely with director and screenwriter. I found not a single moment of originality or risk.