Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile

There are actors who you either enjoy, or you don´t like at all. Of course there are actors who have done both really bad films, and some films you have enjoyed as well. One actor i never really liked is the British actor Hugh Grant, and i will tell you why. From the 1994 hit romantic comedy Four Weddings And A Funeral, he kept on doing a lot of comedies that left no impact for me. And to be honest, i would not say he gave any powerful performances either, except for the drama comedy About A Boy. Perhaps one of the only films i can say i enjoyed with Hugh Grant, maybe because he played a selfish man, who focus more on a luxary lifestyle than seeing what is more important in life. Grant continued doing more comedies, and none of them really got me interested. Another great example of an actor who have not made me interested in his films, is the actor known as Zac Efrom. From his early years of the films High School Musical, he made some really clear choices in characters that would fit for a younger audience. And to be honest, i have seen at least few of them such as New Year´s Eve ( don´t ask me why i watched this one ), That Awkward Moment, Bad Grandpa, and Mike And David Need Wedding Dates. I will say that he was at least ok in the comedy Neighbors, where he managed to pull off some funny scenes. Other than that i can´t say i have liked a lot of his work so far. Earlier this year i was hearing a lot of talk about Zac Efron, in his new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile. In this film he is playing the serial killer Ted Bundy, who murdered a lot of young girls in the 70´s And it seemed that movie critics were surprisingly positive about the performance from Zac Efron, and this got me interested in this film. I always enjoy seeing an actor doing something totally different from what they have done before, so is this film the best work of Zac Efron´s career so far, or is this a serial killerbiographical film that does not leave a big impcat at all ?

In 1969 Seattle, law student Ted Bundy ( Zac Efron ) meets Liz Kendall ( Lily Collins ), a secretary and a single Mmther. They begin to date, and Ted help her raise her daughter Molly. By 1974, news reporters announce the murders of multiple young women, including two who disappeared in broad daylight at Lake Sammamish. Several women have seen a similar man as Ted Bundy drinving a Wolksvagen Bug, as a composite sketch is released of the suspect. After hundreds of calls on people who recognize the sketch, Ted is arrested in 1975. A young woman named Carol DaRonch ( Grace Victoria Cox ) picks out Ted in a police lineup, claiming he kidnapped her and threated to kill her before she managed to escape. Ted is released on bail, returning home to Liz. But as more victims are found, it will be harder for Ted to deny the truth, as he believes he will proof that he is not guilty of any murders.

Let´s be honest here right from the beginning. Without Zac Efron in the lead role, this film would not be on the same level of quality as it stands now. Efron really show you that he can act, if he only is given the right kind of character. For me personallly this is his best acting performance in his career so far. He manage to capture the image of Ted Bundy, on why he managed to charm so many ladies and control them with his disturbing personality. But wait a minute, what about the other performances ? To be honest, it is very hard for other characters to reach the same level of acting as Zac Efron gives in this film, but i will say we do get some other performances worth mentioning. Legendary actor John Malkovich as presiding judge Edward Cowart shows you why Malkovich knows what he is doing. He is the kind of actor who can lift up any character, and he does in this film as well giving us a solid performance. English actress Kaya Scodelario ( who you might have seen as Teresa in The Maze Runner trilogy ) gives a really good performance as Ted Bundy´s riend Carol Ann, who clearly worship Ted. It is nice to see lead singer of Metallica here, James Hetfield as the character Bob Hayward, a police officer in Utah. I would not say Hetfield gives a strong performance, but it is nice to see him in this environment for a change, doing something different outside his music career. Actress Lily Collins who plays Ted Bundy´s wife Liz Kendall, does not feel that strong as the character i was hoping for. Her performance is not bad, just not as strong as this character would have needed to be. It is worth to mention that this film does not focus on the brutal murders Ted commited, more about his trials and his relationship with Liz. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile is a great choice for a Netflix night, if you want to see a biographical film about one of the most famous serial killers of the 70´s. This is a film that shows you how disturbing a monster can be, who have no remorse on his victims. Director Joe Berlinger ( who were one of the director´s on Metallica´s documentary film Some Kind Of Monster ) , have managed to make a film that shows you the mentality of a serial killer. Zac Efron really deserves all the positive reviews he have gotten so far, and this film is his most serious project so far. 

Rating: DDD