Netflix is blazing ahead of their competition with a huge list of original productions, but they are not stopping there. The streaming giant is also going out into the market and acquiring some huge titles to add to their library. The latest purchase is the brand new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile which they paid $9m for.
The film, based on the life of Americas worst serial killer Ted Bundy, was first shown at the Sundance film festival on the 26th January 2019. To say that the film has generated some controversy is an understatement. It has been heavily criticised for sexualising a horrendous human being.
Some of this reaction is generated from the casting of teenage heartthrob Zac Efron as Bundy. However, most reviews of the of the film heap praise on Efron's performance. A strong supporting cast includes John Malkovich, Kaya Scodelario (Crawl), Lily Collins and James Hetfield.
Generally, this looks like a smart move by Netflix. The film is not getting a wide release but is generating a huge amount of media. Netflix also released a brand new documentary earlier in the year – Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. Coincidentally, this documentary series was written and directed by Joe Berlinger, who also directs the new Ted Bundy movie.
Director Joe Berlinger has defended his portrayal of the mass murderer, denying glorifying him. Instead, he suggested that it was important to show how a person could succumb to Bundy's psychopathic seduction.
Although there is no formal release date from Netflix. It would be reasonable to assume that they will wait until after it is released in cinemas in Autumn to give Efron a chance at the award nominations. So if you have watched the Netflix documentary on Ted Bundy, you will now be able to follow that up with the brand new movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
