One Of Ted Bundy’s Surviving Victims Has Weighed In On Zac Efron’s Portrayal
"That’s who Bundy wanted you to see."
One of Ted Bundy’s surviving victims has weighed in on the debate surrounding Zac Efron’s portrayal of the infamous serial killer in the new feature film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
A trailer for the film hit the web last week and sparked furious debate over its seemingly upbeat tone and Efron’s charismatic turn as Bundy. A number of commentators expressed concerns that the film would glamorise Bundy and his crimes, which included rape, necrophilia and more than 30 counts of murder.
Kathy Kleiner Rubin survived an encounter with Bundy in 1978, when he murdered two of her sorority sisters in Florida State University’s Chi Omega house — crimes for which he was later sentenced to death. Speaking to TMZ, she said she doesn’t really have a problem with the film, and that Efron’s performance seems accurate.
“I don’t have a problem with people looking at it, as long as they understand what they’re watching wasn’t a normal person,” said Rubin. “When they do say positive and wonderful things about him, that’s what they saw. That’s who Bundy wanted you to see.”
“The movie does glorify him more than I think he should be, but I think everyone should see it and understand what he was.”
Filmmaker Joe Berlinger has also defended his film, telling Indiewire that he wanted to capture Bundy’s “seductive” nature.
“He eluded capture for so long because everyone believed him. So the movie is about that false believability and deception.”
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile does not yet have an Australian release date.