The Good:

  • High School Musical-alumni Zac Efron proves his versatility as an actor with a cold, ruthless and altogether convincing take on the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy - probably his best performance yet.
  • Rather than being just another brutal and violent retelling of Bundy's life in crime, it shows a different side of the character, focusing on relationships and drama.
  • John Malkovich and Jim Parsons appear in small but delicious and memorable supporting roles.
  • The final 30 minutes or so are filled with the tension and drama absent from the first half of the film.
  • Efron's performance and the final third save much of the film.
  • The courtroom scenes are the best parts of the film.

The Bad:

  • Quite a shallow and one-dimensional take on the famous Ted Bundy story.
  • The script throws us straight into the world of a serial killer with little to no context, assuming the viewer knows every detail.
  • The editing and continuity create a confusing narrative were many events and sequences are only touched upon before the film moves on to other things.
  • Efron never really hits it off with Lily Collins, whose story is kind of forgotten halfway through the feature.
  • It feels like the story itself never goes anywhere and lacks a clear narrative with starting and ending points
  • Could have showed more of the actual crimes, rather than just implying Bundy did them.
  • Requires prior knowledge of Bundy and his crimes in order to fully understand the plot.
  • The film paints Ted Bundy as more humane and less, well, wicked.

Verdict:
Zac Efron makes the performance of his career in a film that struggles to find its own identity and never reaches its full potential.

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