The 5 best scenes from Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

Now that Netflix’s Ted Bundy thriller, Extremely Wicked, has finally been released. I’ve compiled a list of the film’s five best scenes.

After a long wait, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile has finally made its Netflix premiere. It’s a hot trending topic on Twitter this weekend as Zac Efron and Lily Collins reap the praise from their phenomenal performances. Let’s take a look at 5 of the best scenes from the film.

5. A Happy Life with Liz and Molly

The beginning of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a jarring juxtaposition as compared to where the ending leaves us. Ironic then, that the filmmakers chose to inter-cut moments from the ending scene where Liz visits jail in Ted one last time before his execution with moments of the two of them being a happy, seemingly normal couple. It is frightening to remember how normal Ted seemed to many, including his own, long-term girlfriend. Is it possible that he had genuine love for her despite being thought of as a sociopath?

As appearances go, he does a good job of acting like a charming family man. But all was not as white picket fence as it initially appeared. Liz was actually the one who initially called the police on Ted after the first sketch was released. In real life, Liz was said to have called at three different times during the course of their relationship. Even though Extremely Wicked depicts their early romance as healthy and functional, clearly there were always some doubts in Liz’s mind.

4. Liz Struggles to Deal with the Accusations against Ted

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Initially a willing system of support for Ted, as the accusations against him continued to pile up and his odds of ever being released from prison became increasingly unlikely, Liz struggled to come to terms with heinous acts her boyfriend had committed. Despite her increasing reluctance to be part of his case and see him in trial again and again, insisting on his innocence, Liz retreats from the public eye.

A co-worker, Jerry, played by Haley Joel Osment, starts to take care of her as her health fails due to the stress. Lily Collins is a force to be reckoned with in this film. Playing the long-time girlfriend of a serial killer and having to deal with the monstrous revelations of his misdeeds, especially given his close relationship with her daughter, is an unparalleled horror story.

3. Ted Is Present During the Public Reading of the Indictment

During one scene in Extremely Wicked, Ted is present in Florida as the sheriff reads a public indictment of all the charges being brought against him. Bundy is arrogant and self-righteous during this spiel, maintaining his innocence and playing up the crowds willingness to believe him innocent.

During the ending credits, a clip of the very real scenario is shown and you can appreciate how fine-tuned Efron was to Bundy’s mannerisms and his cockiness, all the way until the very end. He clearly knew his charm was winning him favor with the general public. It’s the nexus of his relationship with Carol Ann, who becomes a proxy for him to the crowds rallying his release. He uses that to his advantage. His smugness in the face of all the atrocities he has committed prove he is rotten to the core.

2. A Verdict Is Reached

John Malkovich and Jim Parsons are both present in one of Extremely Wicked’s most pivotal scenes. We finally watch as Ted Bundy is sentenced to death. Even a man as cruel as him is unable to hold back his emotion as the camera does a slow zoom on to the face of the killer. What the judge says, in his calm, unwavering cadence, is actually his real reading. Again, the clip is shown in the credit sequence as Bundy’s trial was indeed, a public spectacle played on television for the masses.

What I find most chilling about this moment is Bundy’s “sadness” is so realistic and yet we know what kind of sadism lies beneath his handsome facade. His hubris has lead him to believe he would escape, yet again, and when the crushing reality finally catches up to him, his tears, to me, are more out of rage and bitterness, than anything close to atonement.

1. The Final Prison Meeting between Ted and Liz

This was the scene I was most anticipating since it was teased in the opening minutes of the film. It lives up to the expectations. The moment Bundy writes his confession in the form of “hacksaw” in the fug of the glass was one of the most fantastically creepy images I’ve seen in a true crime film in some time. It’s such a small moment, and yet it is one that defines the relationship between these two people.

With that one word, Bundy forever severs his tie to Liz. In that moment, she can no longer live in denial for even a second more. She finally must reconcile the man she once loved with the monster sitting before her. It’s a powerful final few moments for the movie.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is now available to stream on Netflix.

Have you watched Extremely Wicked on Netflix yet? Do you plan to? What were your favorite moments from the movie? What did you think of Zac Efron’s performance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!