Child stars don’t have it easy in the Hollywood system. We’ve all heard horror stories of young actors who become cash cows for dismissive parents or lose themselves to the industry’s indulgent lifestyle. Others simply fade away, leaving their mark at a young age then failing to find work as they mature into adulthood.
Many child actors try to avoid this fate by signing on to shocking projects or accepting bold and often scandalous roles. Known for his work in the High School Musical franchise, Zac Efron attempted this feat by playing notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile positions this prolific murderer as a duplicitous but charming boyfriend able to woo his way through a bumbling legal system until the reality of his crimes finally catches up. But does this glamorous casting serve to glorify a sadistic predator? Has Efron’s star power permanently sanitized our understanding of these gruesome crimes?
In the latest episode of Bloody FM’s Murder Made Fiction, Joe and Jenn discuss this confounding film with special guest Gena Radcliffe. Berlinger’s adaptation centers Bundy’s relationship with longtime girlfriend Liz Kendall (Lily Collins) and her journey to break out of this troubling relationship. But do we lose the victims of this harrowing story and who does Berlinger see as Bundy’s true victim?
Episode 18: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
Special guest Gena Radcliffe joins Jenn and Joe to continue our coverage of Bundy inspired texts with Joe Berlinger’s controversial Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019).
Disney alum Zac Efron stars in this adaptation of Elizabeth Kendall’s memoir chronicling her relationship with America’s most notorious serial killer. Told through the lens of a frustrated girlfriend, does Berlinger’s film sanitize the reputation of a notorious monster?
Plus: true crime fangirls, too-long titles, amalgamated characters, and glorifying sadistic serial killers
Next week, we see another teen heartthrob step into the serial killer’s shoes in Daniel Farrands’ Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman.
And if you want even more Murder Made Fiction, be sure to check out the pod’s Patreon feed, where Jenn and Joe have ~23 hours of bonus content. Episodes in this month include a full-length primer on Bundy’s crimes, full episodes on Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour and Justin Kurzel’s The Order as well as episode by episode coverage of Amazon Prime’s The Sticky.