It’s certainly a surface-level look at times but Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile is fueled by Efron’s performance, which is unlike anything we’ve ever seen the actor do. Sure, he’s made a name and fanbase on his charm, but the actor has been trapped playing Neighbors-esque frat boys in far too many movies to prove he is capable of something deeper. He digs deep into Ted, weaponizing what made him famous to great effect. Lily Collins delivers her best work to date as Liz, showing how every lie, new allegation, and courtroom hearing takes more of a toll on her than it does Ted. There are strong turns from the rest of the supporting cast, including Jim Parsons as the prosecutor, John Malkovich as the judge, Haley Joel Osment as Liz’s new boyfriend and Kaya Scodelario as an old friend of Ted’s, who insists he’s telling the truth about the murders.
At times, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is all about the performances because the movie itself struggles a bit with settling on a tone. It certainly doesn’t make light of the subject at hand but incorporating obvious music cues on the lively soundtrack proves to be distracting. Even so, it’s still a fascinating exploration of how one evil person could fool some people into thinking he wasn’t capable of violent acts; it’s most interesting he was able to convince himself.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) Directed by Joe Berlinger. Written by Michael Werwie. Starring Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Jim Parsons, John Malkovich, Kaya Scodelario and Haley Joel Osment.
7 out of 10
[…] FilmThreat: Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile is fueled by Efron’s performance, which is unlike anything we’ve ever seen the actor do. […]