The Director Of The New Ted Bundy/Zac Efron Movie Doesn’t Think He’s Glorifying The Killer

Over the last few days, serial killer Ted Bundy has become an unlikely lightning rod in an argument about representation, endorsement, and who should tell which stories.

Bundy, who raped and murdered at least 30 victims in the 1970s, is the subject of an exhaustive Netflix documentary, The Ted Bundy Tapes, and an upcoming biopic starring Zac Efron, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile.

As a result of that new media attention, some have problematically begun to sexualise Bundy, a man who would often use his looks as a means of trapping his victims in circumstances from which they could not escape.

Naturally, there has been some valid and important pushback to that sexualisation, claiming that it is disrespectful to Bundy’s victims. The trailer for Extremely Wicked in particular has been seen as giving an unpleasantly positive and besotten look at Bundy; it’s a jaunty clip, cut with energy and scored to toe-tapping music, and some are worried that the casting of Efron will only further complicate the strange new reputation Bundy is gaining online.

browsing the incel reddit and everyone's mad at girls being horny for ted bundy, they keep referring to him as "chad bundy"

— christian (@nopoweradeinusa) January 30, 2019

Now, the director of Extremely Wicked, Joe Berlinger, who was also involved in The Ted Bundy Tapes, has responded to the criticism.

In a statement to Buzzfeed News, Berlinger explained that his film was not designed to romanticise or endorse Bundy. “I am of course very troubled that the trailer may be giving some people the false impression that our movie in any way romanticizes the actions of this horrendous serial killer,” he said.

“I want to assure those concerned that our film in no way glorifies Bundy or his atrocious acts, nor was the trailer intended to give that impression.”

Berlinger describes Extremely Wicked as a “serious” portrait of Bundy, one told through the eyes of those close to him.

“Bundy challenges all of our beliefs of what a serial killer should look like because he used his good looks and intelligence to hide his double life for far too long,” Berlinger explained.

People keep saying Ted Bundy is attractive despite what he did, even people who grew up with him say that he’s good looking, etc.

He had cold lizard eyes and a unibrow and he killed so so many people raise your standards

— Catherynne Valente (@catvalente) January 31, 2019

Of course, this is far from the end of the debate — there will still be some who, without having seen the film, assume that Extremely Wicked is an endorsement of the killer.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile will be released in Australian cinemas this year.