Netflix Releases “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”

On January 24, 2019, Netflix released “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes”, a docuseries about Ted Bundy, one of the world’s most infamous serial killers. This release date wass significant being that it was the 30-year anniversary Bundy’s execution.

Netflix released the trailer for this series on January 14, 2019, giving viewers an insight as to what the docuseries would include.

The series consists of four episodes, each around an hour long. Each episode includes interviews Bundy gave while he was on death row in Florida. In the interviews, Bundy reflects on his own life, while also explaining the motives for his crimes.

“Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” focuses on the specifics of Bundy’s crimes, including a chronological timeline of murders Bundy committed.

Senior Isabel Laboy said, “I liked the documentary and how the evidence was portrayed from both sides of defense and prosecution. I really enjoy the amount of detail that was put in it, it was insane.”

The director, Joe Berlinger, also directed “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”, a new film starring Zac Efron, portraying Bundy. The movie stars Lily Collins as Elizabeth Kloepfer, Ted Bundy’s girlfriend and the story is told from her perspective.

The trailer released for this new movie received immense backlash from the public, stating that they were concerned for the families of the victims and have accused the film for romanticising the serial killer.

I feel so bad for the families of the victims that have to sit there and see their terrors revived as a witty romantic thriller https://t.co/uP4y03XSBU

— anime yitties (@peachesfrfr) January 26, 2019

Senior Brielle Gentile said, “I know Bundy was charming, a quality he used to lure women, but I don’t think it’s respectful to the victims or their families to have Zac Efron of all people make an audience swoon over a murderer. The director has stated that it won’t romanticize the killer but we can’t know for sure until it’s released.”

Some people, on the other hand, claim that the trailer was successful in portraying the mannerisms of Ted himself. Bundy was thought of and seen as a “normal” person with an extremely likeable personality, despite being one of the most notorious serial killers in American history.

Although the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last weekend, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile does not have an official release date just yet.