Last week saw the 30th anniversary of serial killer Ted Bundy's execution tie in with the release of Netflix's true crime series The Ted Bundy Tapes and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a film depicting his life from the viewpoint of his former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer.
But since the trailer for the film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, was released, there has been calls for people to boycott the film which has been accused of 'romanticising the convicted serial killer'.
Upon its release, one Twitter user wrote: "Imagine you had a daughter that was raped before being murdered and then then decades later an edgy thriller about the man who did it is made, where he's portrayed as some cool, impressive guy rather than the disgusting animal he was, honestly sickening."
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Another agreed: "I was excited to see the movie tbh... but after ur tweet woke me up im not anymore! Like I don't know ted bundy or anything about him. But the fact that he raped someone is more than enough for me to boycott this sh*t! And how did The actors agreed to portray this sick f*ck!!! [sic]"
"If you watch or support or are excited in any way for the new Ted Bundy film starring Zac Efron, you're sick in the head," a third wrote.
However, others were quick to point out that Zac Efron's portrayal of Bundy is supposed to be charming, as that's thought to be how he lured many of his victims.
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"You have to remember, when Ted Bundy was still at large people thought of him as a cool, handsome, articulate man... Not a monster, I'm sure watching Zac Efron slice a women up will explain to the audience how sick he is," one person wrote.
Another added: "#UnpopularOpinion I don't feel like the Ted Bundy movie glorifies a killer. It's kinda like how Netflix You gave you the movie from the psycho's perspective. Also seeing a killer or rapist glossed up in film only gives you a hard on if ya already sick. No sicko needs assistance."
A third wrote: "So SICK of seeing people giving out about the Ted Bundy film, saying his character is too romanticized and complaining how people could POSSIBLY find him charming. We're LEAD to think that in order to feel the same deception that people at the time felt. Extremely well portrayed."
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The film is told from the perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth, who had no idea he was committing the heinous crimes and coming home to her.
In 1981, Liz wrote a memoir about her time with Bundy, titled The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, which no doubt was used by writers to get inside her mind for the film.
Zac Efron has denied claims the movie glorifies Ted Bundy, as he told Entertainment Tonight in March: "He wasn't a person to be glorified.
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"It simply tells a story and sort of how the world was able to be charmed over by this guy who was notoriously evil and the vexing position that so many people were put in, the world was put in."
Bundy was executed in 1989 after being convicted of the brutal murder of several young women, although he confessed to upwards of 30 murders.
Featured Image Credit: Voltage PicturesTopics: TV News, TV Entertainment