Zac Efron is playing the role of the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in the movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which allows him to use his good looks and charm in this darker subject matter. The film is getting a lot of attention with its recent debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Now, a Bundy survivor talks about Efron playing the role, saying she doesn't mind the actor's "hot take" as long as people learn from it.
In an interview with TMZ, Kathy Kleiner Rubin shares she was 20-years-old when Bundy attacked her and her roommate at Florida State University's Chi Omega house in 1978. While the film has been criticized and brought up concerns for presenting Bundy's charm and good looks, Rubin said that's actually necessary because that's how he presents himself to his victims.
Rubin said she doesn't mind Efron's "hot take" as Bundy, as long as people understand they aren't watching a normal person. He should be presented the way he was in real-life so that people will be aware, and that's not really glorifying him, Rubin added. She also said people, particularly women, tend to say positive and wonderful things about Bundy - because that's what they saw and that's what he wanted them to see.
Rubin noted the movie might have treated the subject too lightly, but what's more important is that people need to realize Bundy is charming and good looking on the outside, but he's definitely a monster on the inside. She hopes the movie and the latest Netflix documentary about Bundy could teach people to be wary when dealing with seemingly trustworthy faces.
Aside from Rubin, Bundy's lawyer in the '70s and '80s John Henry Browne previously said Efron's charisma could recreate how Bundy coerced his victims. But, he also said the true test would be whether the actor could also capture the killer's "essence of evilness."
The movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile follows the story of Bundy but from the perspective of single mom Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins), his longtime girlfriend. Set in 1969, Kloepfer fell in love with Bundy, until everything shattered. She was forced to consider that the man she loves could actually be a psychopath. She kept denying accusations against him for years, but she eventually turned him into the police.
Bundy killed at least 30 people, mostly young girls and women, between 1974 and 1978. But, experts believed the exact number of his killings is much higher. He received three death sentences for the crimes he committed and eventually executed in the electric chair in 1989.
Meanwhile, the film also stars Haley Joel Osment, Kaya Scodelario, John Malkovich, and directed by Joe Berlinger. While Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile premiered at Sundance, it's still uncertain if it will hit the big screen. Due to its dark subject matter, the movie might reportedly debut in a limited run.
