zac efron as ted bundy
photo: Voltage Pictures

If you've been online at all in the past week, you know that Ted Bundy is having a moment. Between the Netflix docuseries and the teaser trailer for the biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, everyone is talking about the convicted serial killer. Some people, however, are under the impression that the upcoming film is glamorizing Bundy, particularly because heartthrob Zac Efron is portraying him.

But Joe Berlinger, who directed both Netflix's docuseries The Ted Bundy Tapes and Extremely Wicked, is not here for all the critics. He recently defended himself to the fans who say his biopic is guilty of glorifying the serial killer's horrific crimes.

ICYMI: The trailer for the Ted Bundy biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile dropped last week.

It stars Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Angela Sarafyan, James Hetfield, Kaya Scodelario, Haley Joel Osment, John Malkovich, and Jim Parsons.

The immediate response to the trailer was exactly what you'd expect: outrage.

People criticized the trailer of sexualizing Ted Bundy by using an actor like Zac Efron to depict him. "Not here for this hyper-sexualized Zac Efron film. I know the youth of Twitter will obsess over him," one Twitter user wrote.

The tone of the trailer, in particular, had people concerned.

"My issue is with the tone of the trailer. It seems a little over the top. It felt like a sexy teen thriller and not a true-to-life biopic," the same user added.

Some people just felt conflicted by the idea of the film in the first place.

"I can’t help but feel sick to my stomach at wondering what all this must feel like for the families of those poor girls," one person wrote on Twitter.

Others claimed that the trailer was intentionally upbeat and glamorous to get people talking.

One person said the film's editors might have "made an inappropriate trailer so people like me would complain, thus increasing the visibility of the film before release." It's possible, but only time will tell.

According to the film's director, Joe Berliner, though, the backlash is "very naive" and just a "knee-jerk reaction."

joe berlinger with zac efron and lily collins
photo: Rich Polk/Getty Images

"I think the idea of this particular story, making a movie about Bundy, equals glorification of him is a very naive and knee-jerk reaction," Berlinger told Bustle in the lobby of a Utah hotel.

Berlinger added, "If you actually watch the movie, the last thing we’re doing is glorifying him. He gets his due at the end, but we’re portraying the experience of how one becomes a victim to that kind of psychopathic seduction."

In other words, people are reacting to a 1.5-minute trailer before actually seeing the film for themselves, thus creating a "knee-jerk reaction" that's not based on fact.

The filmmaker, known for his renowned documentaries as well as his work in criminal justice reform, also noted that he understands the moral implications in making a film like Extremely Wicked.

"I am highly aware of the hypocrisy that I myself participate in about the nature of of true crime filmmaking is that, at the end of the day, we’re making entertainment out of other people’s tragedy," Berlinger told Bustle.

However, to ban certain subject matter or censor filmmakers, he says, is a very slippery slope.

"I think telling filmmakers any subject matter is off-limits is a very slippery slope that leads us to Trump declaring that the media is 'fake news,' " he said. "I think there should be no censoring of subject matter, if it’s done responsibly. And even if it’s done irresponsibly, people have the right to tell any story they want to tell."

Extremely Wicked is based on a memoir written by Bundy's ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, titled The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy. The audience will see Bundy through her eyes, which Berlinger believes is a very important side of the story to tell.

phantom prince my life with ted bundy book
photo: Amazon.com

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"The fact that somebody like Ted Bundy got away for so long, eluded capture for so long, because he was charming and manipulative and people around him thought he was not capable of these crimes, that’s a lesson you can’t learn enough and a very valid lesson to put out into the world," Berlinger explained.

In a separate interview with IndieWire, Berlinger explains that no, his film doesn't glorify Bundy, but it does offer an extremely important lesson: "People need to earn your trust."

"America has 5% of the world’s population, but we’ve had 67% of the world’s serial killer population. And even though there’ve been lots of names — Dahmer, Gacy — the one that rises to the top for everyone is Bundy, because he was seductive. He eluded capture for so long because everyone believed him. So the movie is about that false believability and deception," he explained.

It's worth noting that Berlinger also directed The Ted Bundy Tapes, a Netflix docuseries about how law enforcement, the media, and the courts interpreted Bundy's likable persona.

If you enjoyed the docuseries, it's definitely worth giving the biopic a chance as well. Both explore how Bundy wielded his power and privilege to deceive law enforcement, lure victims, and draw in the media.

Want to hear more from Berlinger regarding the many nuances regarding the sensationalized media story surrounding Bundy and his victims?

He and Amanda Knox discuss the case, his films, and how he got his actors into character in a new podcast. Listen to it here.

Otherwise, judge the story for yourself when Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile arrives in theaters later this year.

There's no official release date yet, but stay tuned.