If you have been browsing Netflix this weekend, you might have come across Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile about serial killer Ted Bundy. Zac Efron plays Bundy while Lily Collins plays his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer. Stepping into any kind of dramatic role like this must take a toll on the actor, but Collins got an extra boost to play the role after she was visited by what she believes to be the ghosts of the women Ted Bundy killed.
In the film (and also real life), Ted Bundy killed 30 women and girls across seven states in the 1970s. During the majority of this time, the charismatic Bundy had a girlfriend named Elizabeth Kloepfer. Kloepfer couldn't believe that Bundy was guilty and claimed that he was innocent. It's a strong story and an especially powerful one considering the many victims at the hand of Bundy.
There are plenty of instances where survivors or family members of victims give their blessings to have a movie made, but it's really rare for ghosts to give the okay. Lily Collins claims that the spirits of the women Ted Bundy killed visited her late at night, and it began when she started to wake up at 3 a.m. every night.
I would go downstairs and have a cup of tea, trying to figure out why I had woken up again. I started being woken up by flashes of images, like the aftermath of a struggle. ... I discovered that 3 a.m. is the time when the veil between the realms is the thinnest and one can be visited.
Lily Collins goes on to tell the Guardian that she believes she was being contacted by spirits. However, it wasn't a scary experience like out of a Conjuring movie. Collins states that she wasn't frightened at all and that the women were there to show their support.
I didn’t feel scared – I felt supported. I felt like people were saying: 'We’re here listening. We’re here to support. Thank you for telling the story.'
It's not my place to say whether ghosts are real or not, but Lily Collins sure believes it, and it nevertheless sounds like quite the experience for her.
Including Extremely Wicked, 8 films have been made about Ted Bundy. He's been called one of the most ruthless and cold people to ever exist. Netflix's film has gotten mostly mixed reviews, but most critics have called Zac Efron's performance as Bundy a highlight of the movie.
You can check out Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile whenever you like because the film is available for your viewing pleasure right now on Netflix. For all the other films the streaming service has in store for the wonderful month of May, here's our Netflix movie release guide.
