By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Ted Bundy was a horrible man. He killed many a fem and was a sociopathic nut-job. He was good looking, a charmer and had a ton of charisma. These attributes allowed him to gain a cult like following and an insane amount of support from women who wanted to fuck his brains out.
Women are complicated and sometimes just bat-shit, but the Ted Bundy effect goes deeper. It’s like the Barnum Effect on crack. People adore being fooled. They’ll suspend disbelief and willingly go for a ride if they get a euphoric kick in the process. This is what Bundy understood. This is why he got under the skin of many a gal. They didn’t really believe he was innocent. Deep down, they knew he was guilty as sin. Crazy enough, that’s what they liked. That’s the kick! It was like an inside joke that only the smart ones understood. They were willing to play pretend and go along with his innocence because the glimmer in his eye and the smile he wore revealed the lies they shared. Bundy was horrible and deserved what he got, but his life and his ability to manipulate fascinates me to this day.
When I heard that this flick was being released, I wanted to see it with my best friend. This element of human behavior compels the both of us and we speak of it often. Sadly, the universe didn’t allow me to see this flick in the cinema as it never got a fair go because of naysayers pissed that Ted Bundy’s attractive side was being showcased. It’s an important and relevant aspect to analyze. Without understanding the elements that made Bundy turn women on, curing the psychological dysfunction that cause it is an impossibility.
First and foremost, the movie isn’t near 100% accurate. It takes more than a few liberties with Ted (Zac Efron) and Liz’s (Lily Collins) relationship for dramatic effect, but it works. The precise facts, order and length of their relationship isn’t as significant as exploring the elements that made Bundy’s approach work. That is where this film excels.
Ted meets Liz in a bar. She has a kid and is a bit paranoid he won’t jive with the whole single mom lifestyle. He not only jumps in but does so from day one. He stays with her the night, doesn’t even try for sex and come morning he lets her sleep and cooks breakfast for the tot. He romances her and she falls hard.
Soon, Ted is pulled over by a cop and taken in under suspicion of kidnapping. He swears to Liz that he’s innocent and she wants to believe him. With Liz, he’s a good liar. One can understand why she believes him – and Ted did care for Liz. As much as a sociopath can care for someone, he does. Unlike the blind allegiance of many of the Bundy clan later on, Liz isn’t blinded. She feels something isn’t right. The desire to stand by Ted is overwhelming because he’s kind to her and fun and sweet and good with her kid, but deep down she knows he’s guilty. Unlike the Barnum Effect gals, she doesn’t want to be fooled, but she doesn’t want her gut to be right either.
As the trial begins and the charges mount, Liz distances herself from Ted. Here emerges the Bundy that the masses know. This is the showman. He’s the guy on the news who took down a reporter with confidence and ease despite every word spoken being a lie. He was the guy who laughed in the courtroom and strutted like a peacock as if the entire case was a charade, but it wasn’t. He was guilty and every move he made was one of a guilty man. It wasn’t his innocence that women were attracted to. It wasn’t that they thought a good man was being wrongly accused. No. It was that despite doing everything he was accused of, he played it cool. He was the bad boy and if this was just a movie and he was just a character that would have been fine, but he wasn’t. He was a man who raped and murdered many women and one 12 year old girl. These crimes are beyond horrific. They’re inhumane. Still something in these women’s primal instincts made them want him so they pretended to think he was innocent.
The best scenes in the film are the courtroom scenes with John Malkovich as Judge Cowart and Jim Parsons as the Prosecuting attorney. The exchanges made between them and Zac Efron as Bundy are expertly performed. All three actors shine.
This should have been Zac Efron’s breakout film away from his Disney roots. I know he’s done other stuff, but for many he’s still the kid from the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL flicks. Here, he owns it as Ted Bundy. He not only had the appearance down but perfected the mannerisms as well. This needed a bigger release outside of Netflix.
I highly suggest this flick. I wish it had been longer and delved even more into the court proceedings and depicted some of his antics outside the courtroom, but besides that it was brilliant.
It is currently on Netflix so if you have a subscription or are “borrowing” someone’s info – give it a go.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
