Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile Reviews Are Up, See What Critics Are Saying
Seemingly out of nowhere, there's been a resurgence and fascination over infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. And Netflix has been primarily responsible for bringing new Bundy-related content to the masses. This started with the docu-series Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, but become more noticeable when the streaming service also acquired the distribution rights to the new drama Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile stars the always shirtless Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, and was at the center of some controversy long before it was made available to the masses. But now the movie is available for streaming on Netflix, so the public can judge Efron's run as the serial killer themselves. That's just what critics have done, and the movie's been getting a mixed bag of reviews.
The New York Times' Jeannette Catsoulis criticized the movie's tone and overall message. There are some scenes which have some comedy, which she believes is a disservice to both Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and the real life history of the case. As she tells it:
But not all of the film's reviews fares quite so poorly, as NPR's Andrew Lapin praising the performance, and duality of Ted Bundy's charm and insidious truth. He said:
The duality of Ted Bundy's charm in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile does seem to be a point of contention for some critics. IGN's Rafael Motamayor thought that not focusing on his mental issues and serial killer ways was a misstep, saying:
This issue seem to be a common criticism with Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and is one shared by Rolling Stone's Peter Travers. He also took umbrage with Bundy's real side being largely absent, and being forced to share the perspective of his wife Elizabeth and the country at the time of Bundy's trial.
While there are some critics who had an issue with the perspective shown in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Vulture's Emily Yoshida believes the movie is lacking any point of view at all. She wrote:
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Still, Zac Efron's performance seems to be a high point for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, despite the casting causing a stir ahead of the film's release. As Us Magazine's Mara Reinstein praised:
You can judge for yourself, as Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is now streaming on Netflix. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.