Zac Efron has responded to criticism over him playing serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.
The Bad Neighbours star admitted he had some 'reservations' about the role, but said this one was particularly 'intriguing' to him.
"Initially, I had reservations about playing a serial killer," he told Variety. "I've seen people make horror films like this before, and it seems like an aggressive play to separate yourself from a perceived image."
Advert
Zac added he'd already seen too much "killing, hacking and slashing" in scary movies, which is why the psychological aspect of the film appealed to him.
"This movie was really about a human being, somebody that perhaps I would have been friends with. And a love story from a very unique perspective.
"I've never seen that before. It's intriguing to me. I think it's more psychological and even more kind of a mindf*ck."
Advert
The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last weekend, has faced criticism from people who believe it 'romanticises' Bundy by using a 'heartthrob' like Zac in the role.
However, others have pointed out that Bundy was described by many as being 'charming and good looking' which he used to lure many of his victims.
"The most exciting thing for me was being able to sort of lend that Ted Bundy charisma to the part," Zac explained to E! News. "I hope that comes across the most."
Advert
The release of the film coincided with the 30th anniversary of Bundy's execution after he was found guilty of the rape and murder of several young women.
In the days leading up to his execution however, Bundy admitted to the murder of upwards of 30 young women and girls.
Zac said director Joe Berlinger was in 'amazing source' of knowledge for researching the role. Berlinger also produced the Netflix true crime documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, so it makes sense he'd be somewhat of an expert.
Featured Image Credit: Voltage PicturesTopics: Ted Bundy, TV Entertainment, Zac Efron, Celebrity Entertainment