Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil premiere: On the red carpet with Zac Efron, Lily Collins and Joe Berlinger

Hot on the heels of Netflix documentary series Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, focusing on the notorious titular serial killer, comes a feature film centring on the same figure from veteran documentary maker Joe Berlinger, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil.

In his ostentatiously-titled but brilliantly executed movie, the director turns the thriller genre on its head by keeping the true horror of Bundy’s crimes during the 70s in the US mostly off-screen and out of sight, only to be glimpsed at through news clippings and police photos, instead showing us the Bundy (played by Zac Efron) known to his one-time partner, Elizabeth Kloepfer (Lily Collins).

We had the pleasure of meeting the lead cast and director on the plush blue carpet at the Curzon, Mayfair at the European premiere of the film.

Certified heart-throb Zac Efron had his staunch fans swooning as he hit the red carpet, donning a sharp check suit and platinum blond quaff. He explained why he thought it was important to tell the story of Ted Bundy now and the preparation that went into playing a serial killer.

The slight beauty, Lily Collins, wrapped in a stunning embroidered sheer dress, stopped to speak to us about the effect of telling the story of Ted Bundy from the perspective of the victim and her experience of making the film.

Director Joe Berlinger spoke passionately about what had compelled him to tell Ted Bundy’s story in a feature film, how he sought to turn the genre on its head by seeing the killer from the point of view of his partner, and why he felt Zac Efron was perfect for the role.

Sarah Bradbury
Videos: Marta Starczynowska

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil is released in select cinemas and on Sky Cinema on 3^rd May 2019.

Watch the trailer for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil here: