Well, this was a huge disappointment. I enjoy reading about and watching programmes on serial killers. The psychology of these people fascinates me, as do the techniques used by the police to track and capture them. With Ted Bundy I’d hoped to get an insight into the mind of one of the most notorious serial killers ever to walk the earth, the man for whom the term serial killer was created.

What I got was far from what I was expecting. Ted Bundy the film is a mess. It barely mentions Bundy’s psychology or motivations. The police investigation is never mentioned. And, most grievously, the film is all over the place tonally. Bundy was an evil man, who raped and killed dozens of women. This movie trivialises these people’s lives for the purpose of a few cheap laughs. I don’t like to use the word tasteless, but this film is as close as any I’ve seen to fitting that word.

It came as little surprise to me that this movie was directed by Mathew Bright, the man who was responsible for another giant mess of a movie, Freeway. Freeway was also a big jumble tonally, but at least that was a work of fiction. Here Bright gleefully mixes scenes of bloody murder, with what I assume is supposed to be black comedy. It fails on every level. I was reminded of American Psycho by the tone used at times, but again that was fiction. Bundy’s life was real and the dead victims do not deserve to be trivialised in this manner.

It’s a shame really because Bright shows flashes of talent at times during this movie. If he could just stop indulging himself in these weird, mixed-up, messy movies then he may one day produce a decent film. In Bundy all we get is Ted moving from one kill to another, at no point are we given any inkling into his psyche or are we updated on the police forces investigation. It’s just bludgeon, rape, bludgeon, rape, rape, bludgeon, ad nauseam. Bright may be talented visually, but he dearly needs to learn how to tell a story.

Some of the most interesting facets of the Bundy case are glossed over with nary a mention. His two escapes from custody are given short shrift. Sure, the first one gets a couple of minutes, but with the second one it’s like, “Oh, he’s escaped again, time for more bludgeoning and raping”. And whilst I think it was a good idea to show his execution, Bright films it like we are supposed to feel sorry for this guy. Mournful music is used and Bundy is shown having his butt packed with cotton and dressed in a nappy (diaper). I’m sorry, I’ve just watched this guy kill and rape dozens of women, now you want me to feel sorry for him? Not going to happen.

On the plus side Michael Teilly Burke was very good as Bundy. In reality Bundy played on his good looks and vulnerability to lure women into his confidence. Burke actually looks a good bit like Bundy and he has this look which I can see women being taken in by. He comes over as approachable and harmless, but during the violent scenes he is all business, frighteningly so.

The only other lead actor is Boti Bliss as Lee (Elizabeth in real life), Bundy’s girlfriend. Lee was a single mother who unquestionably loved Bundy, but was also completely unaware of what he was doing. Bliss does well in some difficult scenes and she actually looks like she loves Ted.