long story short - this movie isn't technically about ted bundy, so much as the woman in love with him before his crimes came to light. and as long as you know that, it's a great film with great acting. in particular, lily collins shows suffering that's impossible not to empathize with, and zac efron has that look in his eye that you've probably seen at least once or twice in your lifetime that leaves you feeling a little cold and naked.

things i think are important going into this movie:
• know about ted bundy's crimes and the overall timeline of his trials and incarceration
• remember that this is based on a memoir of the ex-girlfriend that the movie follows, not simply based on ted bundy's crimes
• know that the title is not a tagline for the plot but a specific part of a quote from the judge who convicted bundy in florida

if you go in knowing these things, the movie is enjoyable. if i went in with only a vague knowledge of the cases involved and the man himself, and didn't know about the actual circumstances of this film, i'd probably be confused and kind of annoyed.

if you're angry about this movie romanticizing ted bundy: it doesn't. if you watch the movie and feel like that, then you missed the entire point. he was an everyday guy next door and this movie is about the damage that knowing someone and caring about someone like ted bundy can do to a person who was truly innocent at the end of the day. it's not about ted bundy being a rockstar or unfairly targeted; the entire movie is about liz and the parts of ted bundy that ted bundy showed her. this glosses over the gory details of his case because of the perspective of the film, not because of any disrespect toward the people who suffered at the hands of ted bundy. if anything, this is the least exploitative piece of media to come out of the ted bundy case.

if you're interested in hearing it from the horses mouth himself: watch the ted bundy tapes. i personally got bored an hour in because i don't like listening to ted bundy or any other narcissist talk about themselves for a prolonged period of time, but it is certainly interesting in the way that the staircase and similar shows are.

if you're interested in the gory details of the crime: it's not here, at all. look for the true crime specials on ted bundy, and check out resources like podcasts and websites like murderpedia. you're not going to get your "gore fix" from a piece of mainstream media. like the hannibal tv series rarely showed lecter committing acts of violence, this movie does not show bundy's crimes save for a scene at the end which was shown in the trailer, anyway.

and that scene is honestly the greatest - not the flashback itself, but the visit between liz and ted before his execution.