Let me start by saying I knew from the opening minutes of the movie what they were trying to do, what kind of story they were trying to tell. But I also knew from the very same moment they were probably going to fail miserably at it, and they did.
This is the story of a single mother, who refuses to believe the love of her life, the man that was there when she needed him could potentially be a serial killer. This is not a bad plot, and it could have actually worked if her perfect boyfriend was not Ted Bundy. And I realize that the story is told from her perspective, but there is no suspension of disbelief when it comes to one of America's more prolific serial killers.
The film also tries its best to make the audience see Bundy from her eyes, but it no easy task for the reasons I have already mentioned. This formula has worked before in other movies, but it did not work in this one, and I think that casting Zac Efron in it was a mistake, because thou he is charming, he cannot act to save his life, he tries to fool the audience with his charisma but the audience is not that stupid nor are they naive.
If this had been a movie that told or even showed his crimes it might have given resonance to what Ted Bundy's case highlighted, that the evil doers are not hiding in shadows, but they walk among us in broad day light. Yet this film wanted the audience to sympathize with Bundy and his extremely naïve girlfriend, and it failed astoundingly at that.
I rate this mess a 4/10. It had a great supporting cast, and it was filmed well in a technical level. But story wise it was extremely weak, shockingly stupid and idiotic.
This is the story of a single mother, who refuses to believe the love of her life, the man that was there when she needed him could potentially be a serial killer. This is not a bad plot, and it could have actually worked if her perfect boyfriend was not Ted Bundy. And I realize that the story is told from her perspective, but there is no suspension of disbelief when it comes to one of America's more prolific serial killers.
The film also tries its best to make the audience see Bundy from her eyes, but it no easy task for the reasons I have already mentioned. This formula has worked before in other movies, but it did not work in this one, and I think that casting Zac Efron in it was a mistake, because thou he is charming, he cannot act to save his life, he tries to fool the audience with his charisma but the audience is not that stupid nor are they naive.
If this had been a movie that told or even showed his crimes it might have given resonance to what Ted Bundy's case highlighted, that the evil doers are not hiding in shadows, but they walk among us in broad day light. Yet this film wanted the audience to sympathize with Bundy and his extremely naïve girlfriend, and it failed astoundingly at that.
I rate this mess a 4/10. It had a great supporting cast, and it was filmed well in a technical level. But story wise it was extremely weak, shockingly stupid and idiotic.