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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman’ on Hulu, Utterly Derivative Serial Killer Schlock

Where to stream:.

• Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman

Stream It Or Skip It: 'Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman' on Netflix, A Needless Extra Chapter In The Serial Killer’s Story

Two new ted bundy films spark backlash on twitter: "manipulative and gross", stream it or skip it: 'ted bundy: falling for a killer' on amazon prime, a documentary series driven by a vital feminist perspective, what's new on netflix, hulu, amazon, and hbo this weekend: 'bojack horseman', 'taylor swift: miss americana', 'ted bundy: falling for a killer', and more.

Now on Hulu, Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman casts Mr. One Tree Hill himself, Chad Michael Murray, as the notorious real-life serial killer, and surely hopes that’ll be enough to draw us in for yet another chunk of content on this well-trod topic. Most recently we got No Man of God , starring Elijah Wood as the FBI agent on Ted’s case; before that, Zac Efron played Bundy in Netflix’s halfway-decent 2019 movie Extremely Evil, Shockingly Wicked and Vile ; and just in the last couple years, the killer was the topic of not one, but two true-crime documentary series, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes and Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer . (All we’re missing is a Bundy drama taking the perspective of his father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.) But American Boogeyman may have more in common with the made-for-TV movies that came and went without much fanfare. Here’s why.

TED BUNDY: AMERICAN BOOGEYMAN : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: A young woman in extreme close-up opens the film: “MEN ARE PIGS,” she says, slam, right into the cam. We don’t disagree! She’s comforting a girlfriend who’s just been dumped by a jerk, but please note, this is as subtle as the movie gets. We get the feeling one of them is about to be Ted Bundy’s next victim. Then, the first of too many wearying subtitles declares the time and place, and all of them land with a nefarious THRUMM on the soundtrack: I’m so over it. Aren’t you? I’ll just say this scene takes place in Utah in 1974, and the rest of the film stretches to 1978 and jumps among Seattle, Colorado and Florida.

Anyway, one of the women goes outside to smoke, which is highly improbable – I’m pretty sure nobody smoked outside in 1974, and in fact, they most likely purposely went inside to fire one up. ANYway anyway, she sees Bundy (Murray) in his signature guise: phony cast on his leg, crutches, dropping his keys and “needing help.” When the inevitable horrifying abduction occurs, the soundtrack informs us it’s a dark and scary moment by unleashing the drones and punctuating them with what I presume is the sound of a lead pipe slamming into an oil drum inside a tanker inside an echo chamber.

Elsewhere, Det. Kathleen McChesney (Holland Roden) briefs a roomful of jackass male cops on a pile of evidence pointing at one probable person in the murders of several young women. Afterward, McChesney is smack in the middle of brushing off the condescension and sexism of her chief and his cop failson when FBI Agent Ressler (Jake Hays) walks into the room and – gasp – shows her respect, a real rarity for 1974. He’s a psychologist and profiler, and he knows good work when he sees it, so he partners up with McChesney. More bodies keep turning up, and this killer must be stopped.

The film then cycles through police-procedural blahblah, stalker-killer scenes and ominous subtitles with woofer-testing music. There’s a scene with Bundy’s mom (Lin Shaye), and a helluva speech by a police psychologist (Asante Jones), and moments where we get to “enjoy” Bundy’s psychosis up close and personal, via an S&M fantasy sequence and a rampage through a sorority house. Does he get away with it? NO SPOILERS, unless you’ve read an article or seen one of the far too many movies about this exact same guy!

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: I’ve already listed the many Bundy movies that already exist, so I’ll say American Boogeyman outright rips off John Carpenter’s 1978 Halloween wholesale a few times, which is problematic, since that was wholesale fiction and Bundy truly existed, and drawing parallels between the two is distasteful. (Also notable: Director Daniel Farrands specializes in this quasi-docudrama stuff – his other recent efforts are Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman , The Haunting of Sharon Tate and The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson . Collect ’em all, trade ’em with your friends, stick ’em in your bike spokes to make that brrrrttttttttttzz sound!)

Performance Worth Watching: McChesney is a real-life figure who made some progress for women in the realm of law enforcement. Roden may be game for bringing her to life on screen, but the American Boogeyman screenplay is so flimsy, we’ll never know – McChesney surely deserves more than just a go-nowhere Clarice Starling-type arc that’s so poorly considered, it’s not half-assed, or even quarter-assed, but more like 10 percent -assed.

Memorable Dialogue: “Not sequence killers. Serial killers. That’s what they should be called.” – McChesney coins the ever-living shit out of a phrase

Sex and Skin: A little bit of exploitative down-blouse cheesecake for Bundy to leer at.

Our Take: American Boogeyman is the kind of movie that gives dreck a good name. Its CPM (cliches per minute) rate buries the needle in the red. It would boast all the class and style of a TV-movie cautionary-tale creepathon if it wasn’t zero-insight exploitation. It never settles on a point-of-view, jumping from the bland coptalk between McChesney and Ressler, to Bundy lurking in the bushes or backseat, to the inane back-and-forth of his victims, none of whom enjoys a single consideration as a character. They’re just meat for Bundy to butcher.

Any moments that attempt to stir up drama – say, the mother of a victim expressing some grief or rage – has all the tension and emotional currency of a waterlogged soap opera. The dialogue is horrid, half-written crud rendering the actors’ jobs thankless paycheckery. Not a single scene here is convincing. It plays fast and loose with the true events of Bundy’s nasty rampage, which might be forgivable if the movie had a single thing to say about any of it, a single idea in a single brain cell, but alas.

Our Call: Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman aims for chilling and lands on boring, and fails mightily to justify its existence. SKIP IT TWICE.

Will you stream or skip the serial killer shlock #TedBundy : American Boogeyman on @hulu ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) December 21, 2021

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com .

Watch Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman  on Hulu

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Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman

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Daniel Farrands

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How Netflix's Ted Bundy Documentary & Movie Are Different (& Which Is Better)

Extremely wicked true story: what the ted bundy movie changes (& cuts), why hollywood is obsessed with ted bundy movies.

• Serial killers like Ted Bundy are a morbid fascination for the masses, inspiring countless movies and TV shows.
• Some films focus on Bundy's involvement in other cases, offering a unique perspective on his crimes.
• Movies about Bundy often highlight his charm and manipulation skills, portraying him as a real-life monster.

Serial killers are a recurrent topic in movies and TV shows, and the most notorious understandably inspire the healthiest box-office returns and streaming numbers, so it’s no shock there have been many Ted Bundy movies. The world has unfortunately seen too many serial killers through, with different modus operandi and targets. However, some remain fascinating to the audience and the entertainment industry, making them part of pop culture. The idea of centering a movie around a serial killer like Ted Bundy is to try to understand the mindset.

Genres from true crime to thrillers to horror all rely on the morbid yet natural human fascination with the macabre, and serial killers are the closest thing to real-life monsters. Theodore Robert Cowell, the birth name of "The Campus Killer" himself and best known as Ted Bundy, captured the darkest parts of audiences' imaginations before he was eventually identified and apprehended. This resulted in several Ted Bundy movies, some inaccurate exploitative stories, and others examining this man in interesting ways.

30 Best Serial Killer TV Shows On Netflix, Ranked

Netflix is a source of tons of amazing true crime content, and there are some enthralling shows that focus on serial killers, both real and fictional.

10 Bundy And The Green River Killer (2019)

The movie has bundy consulting on another case, bundy and the green river killer.

Bundy and The Green River Killer is a crime drama film that explores the parallel lives of two of America's most notorious serial killers, Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer. The film delves into their crimes, capturing, and subsequent confessions, raising questions about their motivations and the impact of their crimes on their victims and families.

One of the modern Ted Bundy movies released is actually not about Bundy's days as a serial killer, but about him consulting on another case. In reality, Ted Bundy was interviewed about the Green River Serial Killer when there were no leads in the case.

That's the story Bundy And The Green River Killer tells.

This is actually a practice law enforcement will take, especially when convicted serial killers might be serving multiple life sentences in prison. That's the story Bundy And The Green River Killer tells. In the real-life incident, Bundy was on death row, and he spoke to a detective named Dave Reichert and a Bundy investigator named Robert Keppel, whom Bundy reached out to offer his help.

Bundy's information led to the Green River Serial Killer's arrest. However, reviews complained about bad acting and historical inaccuracies. The movie received mixed reviews , having only a 3.4 out of 10 stars on IMDB and a 6% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, but a 3.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon's Prime Video.

9 Bundy: An American Icon (2008)

An unreliable biopic from an unreliable narrator, bundy: an american icon.

Bundy: An American Icon is a 2008 biographical crime drama that examines the life and crimes of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. Directed by Michael Feifer, the film stars Corin Nemec as Bundy, capturing his manipulative charm and murderous rampage that terrorized the United States in the 1970s. The narrative delves into Bundy's psychological profile while highlighting the impact of his actions on his victims and society.

Bundy: An American Icon (also known as Bundy: A Legacy of Evil ) is a horror movie directed by Michael Feifer that purports to be a biopic of "The Lady Killer" Theodore Cowell. Unfortunately for anyone looking for a fact-based affair, it follows Feifer's other serial killer movies (including movies about Ed Gein , BTK, and the Boston Strangler) by caring little for the truth. It dramatizes Bundy’s life from his troubled childhood to his arrest and trial and feels like little more than exploitation of a "brand."

Corin Nemec played Cowell/Bundy, and the movie wasn't well-received by critics, who thought it didn’t offer anything new. It’s an often forgotten entry in the collection of movies about Ted Bundy. Corin Nemec was great in his role as Ted Bundy, but when the 37-year-old actor played Bundy in his college years, it seemed a little too unrealistic.

8 American Boogeyman (2021)

Told through the eyes of fbi agents, ted bundy: american boogeyman.

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The first of two 2021 properties, Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is written and directed by Daniel Farrands ( The Haunting of Sharon Tate ) and stars Chad Michael Murray as the title character. The film starts with Bundy's first abduction of a woman in 1974 and the murders that followed. Much like another true-crime biopic, The Highwaymen which focused on the law enforcement tacking Bonnie & Clyde, this movie was less concerned about Bundy than it was about tracking this serial killer down, a journey that ended in 1978.

Like the rest of the movies based on Ted Bundy American Boogeyman follows his crimes but through the perspective of the FBI agents assigned to the case

Like the rest of the movies based on Ted Bundy , American Boogeyman follows his crimes but through the perspective of the FBI agents assigned to the case: Kathleen McChesney (Holland Roden) and Robert Ressler (Jake Hays). I t never quite manages to justify its own existence, offering nothing new to the conversation and also fictionalizing events to the point that it feels grossly unfair. On top of that, Murray was considered miscast as Bundy.

7 Ted Bundy (2002)

Critics thought it to be exploitative.

Ted Bundy is a biographical drama film that explores the life of notorious American serial killer Ted Bundy, played by Michael Reilly Burke. The film chronicles Bundy's early life, his rise as a charismatic and intelligent law student, and his subsequent descent into darkness as he commits a series of heinous crimes.

Ted Bundy was directed and co-written by Matthew Bright. The story picks up in 1974 when Bundy was a law student and began his murder sprees. The infamous killer was played by Michael Reilly Burke ( Mars Attacks! ), whose performance was pointed out as the best thing in the movie , though it was affected by the story and tone of the movie, which critics labeled as “exploitative.”

That assessment is thoroughly justified: the Ted Bundy 2002 movie's commitment to bothering with the truth, again, is questionable at best, suggesting that lots of these movies have more stock in the idea of Bundy over the truth of the matter. After this movie, director Bright only made two more movies in his career, with his last film coming just one year later, a movie called Tiptoes starring Gary Oldman and Matthew McConaughey that Bright was fired from during post-production (via Yahoo ).

The 15 Most Interesting Serial Killers On Mindhunter (& 10 They Should Have Had On The Show)

Mindhunter does a great job of examining the motivations behind real serial killers. These are some of the most interesting to be featured!

6 The Capture Of The Green River Killer (2008)

The tv movie doesn't really justify the effort, the capture of the green river killer.

The Capture of the Green River Killer is a two-part television movie that chronicles the real-life hunt for the notorious serial killer Gary Ridgway, who was convicted of murdering numerous women in the Seattle area. The story focuses on the experiences of one of the lead detectives, Dave Reichert, and a survivor whose life was forever altered by her encounter with the murderer.

The Capture of the Green River Killer is a two-part TV movie that focuses on the story of the Green River killer serial murders between 1982 and 1998. Just like in The Riverman , Bundy comes into play when he offers his help to the detectives working on the case. Bundy's real-life involvement in the case also helped to inspire The Silence of the Lambs as serial killer Hannibal Lecter helps FBI agent Clarice Starling. This version of Bundy is played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer 's James Marsters .

As a Lifetime original movie, It's a hard one to get hold of, but it doesn't really justify the effort. The cast is better than the material – with Tom Cavanagh in the lead role – but the screenplay was seen as the biggest problem with the film. However, it did receive two nominations for the 2008 Gemini Awards (Best Direction and Best Costuming). At the time of its release, it was the most-watched Lifetime Movie of all time (via The Futon Critic ).

Netflix's Ted Bundy films were both directed by Joe Berlinger. We break down the differences between the documentary and the feature film.

5 The Riverman (2004)

Another movie about bundy and the green river killer, the riverman.

The Riverman is a crime drama film based on the true story of Gary Ridgway, America's most prolific serial killer. The 2004 film explores the events leading up to Ridgway's arrest in 2001, focusing on the efforts of detective Dave Reichert, who dedicated his career to capturing the Green River Killer.

The Riverman was a Ted Bundy TV movie directed by Bill Eagles ( Beautiful Creatures ) and based on the book The Riverman: Ted Bundy and I Hunt for the Green River Killer by Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes. It follows criminology professor Robert D. Keppel who is offered help by Bundy to profile a serial killer, later dubbed “The Riverman”. Although Bundy wasn’t much help, he did shed some light on his own pathology.

Bundy was played by Cary Elwes, known for his roles in The Princess Bride , Saw (also inspired by a true story) , and Stranger Things . This one's a little like a prototype for 2021's far superior No Man Of God , in that it follows the profiler rather than Bundy and allows the audience to see Bundy and his crimes through his eyes. There's also an element of Keppel being dragged in a little too much, which promises more interest than it delivers.

4 The Stranger Beside Me (2003)

A co-worker tells all when it comes to ted bundy, the stranger beside me.

The Stranger Beside Me is a made-for-TV movie based on the book of the same name by Ann Rule, who worked with Bundy before his murders and even considered him her friend. Rule worked for a suicide crisis hotline when she met Bundy , a work-study student studying psychology. In this version, Bundy was played by Billy Campbell, and Barbara Hershey played Rule.

Buoyed by two great central performances, it's a strong addition and easily one of the best made-for-TV true crime efforts of the Bundy catalog. It also makes the choice to stay away from Bundy's crimes consciously and gives Ann Rule a rare female voice in this otherwise male perspective-dominated space.

Rule's book shows that she considered Bundy a kind and empathetic person, and she never could have believed he was a serial killer, even though he was killing people while they were friends. Matthew McDuffie was nominated for Adapted Long Form at the WGA Awards for his script.

3 The Deliberate Stranger (1986)

A made-for-tv movie praised for being accurate, the deliberate stranger.

The Deliberate Stranger is a biographical crime drama film based on the life of Ted Bundy, a serial killer who murdered numerous young women during the 1970s. Directed by Marvin J. Chomsky, the film stars Mark Harmon as Bundy and follows his gruesome crimes and eventual capture.

The Deliberate Stranger is a TV movie based on the book Bundy: The Deliberate Stranger by reporter Richard W. Larsen, published in 1980. The movie skips Bundy’s childhood and first murders and begins with the murder of Georgann Hawkins, later following Bundy's crimes in Washington, Utah, Colorado, and Florida.

Bundy was played by Mark Harmon, best known for playing SSA Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS , and Bundy's lawyer Polly Nelson called the movie "stunningly accurate" and praised Harmon's performance.

However, on the opposite side of the critical analysis, Ann Rule felt that Harmon missed the " insecurities " that existed under Bundy's confident portrayal. Regardless, Harmon earned a Golden Globes nomination for his performance . As it was initially a two-part miniseries, it clocks in at over three hours, but it never outstays its welcome and Harmon is very good as the charming law student with a terrible secret.

2 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile (2019)

Zac efron in a different kind of role for the usual comedic actor, extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile.

Zac Efron plays Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The movie is a crime drama directed by Joe Berlinger, and is based on the book The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall, Bundy’s former girlfriend. The title of the movie is a reference to judge Edward Cowart’s (played by John Malkovich) remarks on Bundy’s crimes while sentencing him to death.

The story begins in 1969, when Bundy and Elizabeth meet, and is told through her perspective, covering his journey all the way to his imprisonment. Somewhat rightly accused of exploitation of the material - and the victims, without a thought to giving them a voice - there's a little too much appreciation for the cult of Bundy without a great deal of showing him for what he really was as a serial killer.

How much does Netflix's Extremely Wicked change or cut? The Ted Bundy film alters context and leaves out important information, but for a good reason.

1 No Man Of God (2021)

Considered to be the best movie on the subject, no man of god.

No Man of God is a 2021 crime drama starring Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby. Wood plays Bill Hagmaier, a real-life FBI profiler who interviewed multiple serial killers. No Man of God focuses on Hagmaier's encounter with Ted Bundy, played by Kirby. The movie received mixed to positive reviews upon release.

The most recent Ted Bundy movie highlights a chilling performance from Luke Kirby as No Man of God 's Bundy . It's directed by Amber Sealey and written by C. Robert Cargill ( Sinister , Doctor Strange ). The movie is based on real-life transcripts selected from the conversations between Bundy and FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (played by Elijah Wood) that happened between 1984 and 1989.

Also starring are Robert Patrick and Aleksa Palladino in supporting roles, but this is very much a two-man affair, with narrative presence for other perspectives more than real characters. It's intriguing without being exploitative and offers a genuinely clever comment on both Bundy's dark "appeal" and the irresponsible way that has been monetized without considering a space for female or specifically victimized voices in telling the tale. Both Kirby and Wood are great, and it's easily the best of the bunch.

Ted Bundy Is One Of The Most Prolific Serial Killers In History

Few serial killers have inspired more movies , TV shows, documentaries, books, or other media than Ted Bundy, whose crimes took place in the US in the 1970s (and quite possibly earlier). Catching Theodore Cowell wasn’t easy, as he denied all his crimes for decades and escaped from the authorities a couple of times, traveling to other states to continue his murder spree. He also gave his victims a variety of aliases, including Kenneth Misner and Chris Hagen, so those who escaped gave the police incorrect information.

Two new Ted Bundy movies are set to be released next month. Despite the backlash, Hollywood is certainly obsessed with the famous 1970s serial killer.

Bundy was jailed in Utah in 1975 for aggravated kidnapping and attempted criminal assault, which unchained a series of suspicions for more serious crimes. The "Love Bite Serial Killer," as some media outlets also referred to him, was recaptured in 1979, and he was already America’s most famous serial killer by that point. That same year he was sentenced to death for his crimes, though it's believed that not all his victims have been found, and he didn’t confess to all the murders he committed.

Just days before his execution, Bundy confessed to 30 murders during a series of interviews with Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth, which were the basis for Netflix's Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes docuseries as well as Elijah Wood's No Man Of God . Bundy died in the electric chair in January 1989, and his story has since been adapted to multiple types of media. The strange fascination over his case hasn’t ceased.

Why There Are So Many Ted Bundy Movies

Serial killers have inspired fiction since the days of Jack the Ripper , but there is a handful over whom Hollywood and audiences obsess disproportionately, and Bundy is among them despite not being the most prolific killer in US history – Bundy is the third most active, with 25 confirmed murders and many more suspected but not proven. Yet there are far more movies about him than Samuel Little, who is still alive today and has confessed to the murder of over 93 women, or Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer who killed 49 people.

The Ted Bundy obsession Hollywood has can be explained. Like John Wayne Gacy and Ed Gein, Bundy's crimes had a disturbing horror movie-like element that went beyond simple murder. John Wayne Gacy was the killer clown who inspired IT , and Ed Gein made his victims into furniture and clothing. As well as killing possibly as many as 100+ women, Bundy was a rapist and necrophile. His crimes were truly disgusting, and as much as their depravity makes them harrowing to consider, it makes them equally compelling fodder for filmmakers wanting to create a monster movie about one from real life.

The other reason Bundy is notably popular in movies is that he had, for lack of a better term, the Dracula factor. Theodore Robert Bundy was, by all accounts, an incredibly attractive man, which made it easy for him to lure his female victims. He'd sometimes also pretend to have an impairment to more easily gain their trust, something else that inspired The Silence of the Lambs, as Buffalo Bill uses a similar trick. It shows Bundy was a master manipulator, coming across as suave and sophisticated.

His personality was a huge juxtaposition to the utterly inhuman ferocity of his acts, which is in part why it took so long to pin him to the murders, and this Jekyll-and-Hyde dissonance further breeds easily exploitable audience curiosity. He is partly responsible for the rejection of the old idea of serial killers as ugly societal rejects. As unjust as it is, Ted Bundy has become a celebrity serial killer, and there will likely be many more movies made about him.

The Best Movies Based On Real Serial Killers

Ted Bundy is certainly a source of fascination for the public, but there have been many movies over the years that have been based on killers. In some cases, these film are only inspired by real-life cases while a lot of the details are fiction. This includes the aforementioned The Silence of the Lambs , which not only took inspiration from Bundy but also Ed Gein. Gein has inspired a number of classic horror movies, in fact, with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho also drawing from his case.

Other movies take a much more factual look at real cases, using the real names and details to tell the story. Monster is a complex and challenging serial killer story that makes the killer the protagonist, with Charlize Theron earning an Oscar for her performance as Aileen Wuornos. Bong Joon-ho's excellent Memories of Murder tells the true story of South Korea's first serial killer and the flawed police investigation that ensued.

However, the greatest serial killer movie to many is David Fincher's Zodiac , a stunningly accurate and gripping account of one of the most infamous unsolved serial killer cases in history. The movie details the murders and the way the killer terrified the nation by having letters printed in San Francisco newspapers, taunting the police, and promising more murders. With the identity of the killer unknown, the story focuses on the decades of meticulous work done by detectives and journalists to crack the case.

For an exploration of the work that goes into stopping a serial killer, the fear that they can inspire, and the fascinating details of a true-crime story, Zodiac is the best of the genre.

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Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman Reviews

• 1 hr 50 mins
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Set in a gritty and decadent 1970s America, American Boogeyman follows the elusive and charming killer and the manhunt that brought him to justice involving the detective and the FBI rookie who coined the phrase 'serial killer'.

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Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman

The intrepid FBI agents Kathleen McChesney and Robert Ressler, organize one of the largest manhunt in history to apprehend America's most infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy. The intrepid FBI agents Kathleen McChesney and Robert Ressler, organize one of the largest manhunt in history to apprehend America's most infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy. The intrepid FBI agents Kathleen McChesney and Robert Ressler, organize one of the largest manhunt in history to apprehend America's most infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy.

• Daniel Farrands
• Chad Michael Murray
• Holland Roden
• 100 User reviews
• 45 Critic reviews

Top cast 53

• Kathleen McChesney

• Robert Ressler

• Cheryl Thomas

• Carol DaRonch

• Melissa Smith
• (as Julianne Collins)

• Jill Johnson

• Bobby Kelske
• (as Dash Connery)

• Herb Swindley
• (as Anthony DeLongis)

• Shane Swindley
• (as Sky Patterson)

• Dr. Richmore

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Diane Franklin who plays Linda Healy's mother, is the real-life mother of Olivia DeLaurentis , Carol DaRonch, the girl who gets away from Bundy while handcuffed jumping into a van. At the end, they stand side-by-side as witnesses during Bundy's execution.

Ted Bundy : When you work hard to do something right, you don't want to forget it.

• Connections Featured in Amanda the Jedi Show: The WORST Director is Back - Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman Explained (2021)
• Soundtracks Rumble Seat Composed by Kevin Baumgard (as Kevin M. Baumgard)

User reviews 100

Embarrassing.

• grinandbear
• Aug 27, 2021
• How long is Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman? Powered by Alexa
• August 16, 2021 (United States)
• United States
• تيد بندي: أمريكان بوغي مان
• Green Light Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Runtime 1 hour 36 minutes

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Parents' guide to, ted bundy: american boogeyman.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 1 Review
• Kids Say 0 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Violence, gore, language in serial killer crime drama.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is a 2021 true crime horror-thriller about the years-long pursuit and capture of the serial killer. Some of the real-life killings are filmed in the style of horror movies, with jump scares and suspenseful music. Young women are shown being lured by…

Why Age 16+?

True crime thriller/horror movie violence throughout. Young women shown being at

Profanity throughout. "F--k" often used. Also: "a--hole," "s--t," "goddamn," "da

Marijuana smoking. Cigarette smoking. Beer drinking in a bar. Tequila drinking i

The house mother of a sorority who is renting out a room to Bundy makes a rhymin

Orange Julius mentioned by name. Woman carries a Waldenbooks bag while standing

Any Positive Content?

Kathleen McChesney is a Seattle homicide detective starting her career in the 19

Kathleen McChesney is a highly competent, dedicated law enforcement officer duri

No positive messages in movie about serial killer Ted Bundy.

Parents need to know that Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is a 2021 true crime horror-thriller about the years-long pursuit and capture of the serial killer. Some of the real-life killings are filmed in the style of horror movies, with jump scares and suspenseful music. Young women are shown being lured by Bundy, handcuffed in his car while screaming. Women are shown being attacked while in their beds, bludgeoned with a blunt object, faces bloodied as they scream. Other images include a gory corpse in a morgue, a decapitated head, and police photographs of murder scenes (remains of body parts). Bundy keeps violent pornographic magazines in his room. He is shown in a fantasy sequence being tied up in bed and beaten by women wearing leather masks, as close-ups of Bundy's face give the appearance that he's masturbating. Police officers talk of Bundy's methods of killings women, how he bludgeons, rapes, and kills them. Marijuana smoking, cigarette smoking, and beer drinking are seen, and there's some profanity, including "f--k." On the positive side, Kathleen McChesney, one of the officers and later FBI agents who helped to finally bring Bundy to justice, is presented as an intelligent and dedicated law enforcement officer starting her career at a time when women were surrounded by sexism and weren't allowed to work as agents in the FBI.

To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Violence & Scariness

True crime thriller/horror movie violence throughout. Young women shown being attacked by Bundy. Women in their beds are bludgeoned with a blunt object. A woman is shown being abducted, handcuffed inside of a car, where it's later revealed that she was raped and murdered. Decapitated heads. Gory remains of a corpse in a morgue. Bundy keeps violent pornographic magazines in his bedroom: images of women tied up and beaten. During a fantasy sequence, Bundy imagines himself tied up in bed while women beat him, as quick close-up shots of his face show him seemingly in the act of masturbation. Women who survived Bundy's final attacks before his arrest are shown beaten and bloodied. Horror movie-style jump scares throughout.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Profanity throughout. "F--k" often used. Also: "a--hole," "s--t," "goddamn," "damn."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Marijuana smoking. Cigarette smoking. Beer drinking in a bar. Tequila drinking in a house.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The house mother of a sorority who is renting out a room to Bundy makes a rhyming sexual joke concerning how she graduated in the "Class of '69."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Orange Julius mentioned by name. Woman carries a Waldenbooks bag while standing outside of a mall.

Positive Role Models

Kathleen McChesney is a Seattle homicide detective starting her career in the 1970s, a time when it was rare for women to be in law enforcement. Against culture of sexism, she emerges as someone adept at finding patterns in the grisly murders committed by Bundy, and her work and tenacity eventually land her a job at the FBI and result in her ascending the ranks, often as the first woman to attain high-ranking positions at the FBI.

Diverse Representations

Kathleen McChesney is a highly competent, dedicated law enforcement officer during a time when it was believed at the FBI and elsewhere that only men could do that kind of work. Psychiatrist who interviews Bundy in prison is an African American man.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update .

Positive Messages

Where to watch, videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents Say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In TED BUNDY: AMERICAN BOOGEYMAN, Seattle Homicide Detective Kathleen McChesney (Holland Rosen) is investigating the gruesome murders of young women in the Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions in the mid-1970s. As she studies the patterns behind these killings, the male-dominated police force gives her little support, but when rookie FBI Agent Robert Ressler (Jake Hays) begins working with her, they're determined to work day and night to catch this, to use a term they coined, "serial killer." They track him down, and his name is Ted Bundy ( Chad Michael Murray ). Bundy reveals himself to be completely devoid of remorse over his actions, and he's sent to prison. Two years later, Bundy escapes from prison in the dead of winter and is on the loose again, and McChesney (now with the FBI) and Ressler surmise that he has escaped to a warmer climate. When similar attacks begin happening in and around Florida State University in Tallahassee, McChesney and Ressler immediately go there, where Bundy is now living in a guesthouse on the property of a sorority house. McChesney tracks him down, but must stop him before he attempts one more murder spree in the sorority house.

Is It Any Good?

Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is yet another of the roughly two dozen documentaries and feature-length movies "based on true events" about the serial killer. Often shot like a horror movie, with jump scares and suspenseful music galore, the movie comes across as a cynical Hollywood attempt to sensationalize gruesome violence and exploit Bundy's incomprehensibly evil murders and the traumatic suffering endured by those who survived what Bundy did. While the movie does give equal time to the FBI agents who tracked Bundy down, and a "Where are they now?" montage at the end discusses the positive work those who caught or survived Bundy did in the years after the serial murders, disturbing sequences involving Bundy's fantasies and the suspense leading up to the attacks are much more likely to resonate, unfortunately.

It's not a bad movie from a technical standpoint. But it doesn't really contribute anything new to a story told too many times about a sociopath who doesn't deserve so much of "the Hollywood treatment," or any of it, really. What does it say about an industry that, for every documentary about, say, Gandhi, churns out roughly one billion documentaries about serial killers and fascist dictators? Are audiences really that evil-obsessed, or is this a cynical appeal to an innate fascination with people trying to make sense of ugly true-life evil? Do we better understand serial or mass murder, or is this merely lowest common denominator entertainment? It's past time to derive so much "entertainment value" from creeps like Bundy, and long past time to take the "anti" out of "anti-heroes."

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about true crime horror-thrillers like Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman . Does this movie sensationalize and exploit the real-life terror Bundy inflicted on his victims? Why, or why not?

Currently, there are around two dozen documentaries and movies "based on true events" about Ted Bundy. Why? Why does Hollywood, to say nothing of all the cable TV programs out there, spend so much time on evil people who caused so much misery?

How does the movie convey the sexism that Kathleen McChesney worked in as she was starting her career?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : September 3, 2021
• Cast : Chad Michael Murray , Holland Roden , Jake Hays
• Director : Daniel Farrands
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Dark Star
• Genre : Thriller
• Topics : Great Girl Role Models , History
• Run time : 110 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 17, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021)

December 3, 2021 by Graeme Robertson

Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman , 2021.

Directed by Daniel Farrands. Starring Chad Michael Murray, Holland Roden, Jake Hays, Greer Grammer, Dash Connery, Gabrielle Haugh, Olivia DeLaurentis, Sky Patterson, Marietta Melrose, Diane Franklin and Lin Shaye.

In the 1970s, a pair of dedicated investigators find themselves on the trail of one of America’s most notorious serial killers; Ted Bundy.

A cunning psychopath, infamous for his supposed charm and good looks, as well the unspeakable viciousness of his crimes, Ted Bundy stands as one of the most notorious serial killers in history. This infamy has seen Bundy become a regular stape of true-crime books, documentaries and dramatic works of varying quality. However, the subject of this review, Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman , might be one of the most ill-considered and abysmal takes on Bundy or any true crime story that I’ve ever seen.

This has been a tough review to write, dear readers, and it’s likely to be an even tougher read. In all honesty, I don’t know where to begin with a film like American Boogeyman ?

We’ll begin with writer/director Daniel Farrands who has quite the filmography. While he has had success with his documentary, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy , Farrands recent output has seen him delve into what I call “revisionist true-crime horror” . Producing films such as The Haunting of Sharon Tate , that depicted the actress suffering premonitions of her own brutal death. And the even more bizarre The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson , a film that took the crime that led to the infamous trial of OJ Simpson and has it being committed by serial killer Glen Edward Rogers.

So with that in mind, you can imagine my trepidation into how Farrands might tackle a monster like Bundy. The film can best be summarised as one of two sides. One side follows Bundy as he murders, the other following detectives as they attempt to catch him. Both sides have potential, but both sides don’t so much as drop the ball but rather, they set it on fire and boot it through a maniacs window.

The first side following Bundy is essentially a slasher film as he attacks and/or murders women, with nothing here that adds any new insight into his character. There is a cursory discussion of his psychology, but it sounds more like the filmmakers adapted Bundy’s Wikipedia entry rather than attempt anything original. The other side follows the hunt for Bundy led by Kathleen McChesney (Holland Roden), a Seattle detective, and Robert Ressler (Jake Hays), the FBI profiler often credited with coining the term “serial killer”. Or, as this film suggests, in one of many wholly fictitious scenes, that it was McChesney who invented the concept after being inspired by cliffhangers in old film serials, happily giving the coinage credit to Ressler as a way of explaining away this inaccuracy.

Presentation-wise, American Boogeyman has the look and feel of the kind of corny TV movies that litter the afternoon schedules on Channel 5 (or probably Lifetime for you non-UK readers). And, the music with its synth-heavy tinges only serves to make it feel like the filmmakers wanted to make a slasher and decided to slap the Bundy name in an attempt to lure in the true-crime crowd.

Running throughout the script is what I think is an attempt to have a feminist message. Whether it is Detective McChesney regularly dealing with dismissal and mockery from her male colleagues, its depiction of nearly every male character (except for Agent Ressler) as a chauvinist, patronising creep, or its often embarrassingly ham-fisted dialogue (the opening line is literally ‘ men are such pigs’ ) the film’s attempt to critique the sexism of its 1970s setting is downright laughable. And far from being a “noble” depiction of a female detective hunting the ultimate misogynist, it feels more like Farrands is trying to cover his ass from possible accusations of exploitation. And, I don’t think those accusations would be wholly unfounded, as, despite its seemingly pro-feminist message, the film reeks of hypocrisy given its portrayal of Bundy’s crimes. The most egregious example being its depiction of his attack on the FSU Chi Omega Sorority.

While most dramatic depictions might shy away from showing such a brutal ordeal, given the real-life horror of the event, American Boogeyman foolishly decides to re-enact it. The massacre plays out as if it’s a scene from an 80s slasher, as Bundy moves room to room, killing and maiming innocent women, often with blood splashing in a tasteless and almost gleeful display of violence. And, as if trying to make up for this reprehensible re-enactment, historical accuracy is tossed down a mineshaft as Detective McChesney arrives on the scene as if she’s Donald Pleasance at the end of Halloween . Charging into the sorority, gun drawn and managing to stop Bundy mid-assault, shooting at him in the process. And, if this scene wasn’t any more ridiculous, as he’s shot, Bundy seems to teleport away as if he’s a fucking ghost. The film was already bad. But this ending, with its disrespectful re-enactment of real-life murder, its abuse of dramatic license to depict outright falsehoods, and its depiction of a real psychopath as if he’s a supernatural entity, turns the film into some kind of fucked up fan-fiction that the real Bundy probably would have loved.

One area in which I’ll temper my anger is with the acting because, while not great, the cast really do try their best with the awful material they have to work with. Chad Michael Murray, who (to me at least) looks more like Taylor Kitsch than Ted Bundy, attempts to replicate the sinister charm that Bundy possessed but, instead, he comes off as a generic creep from a bad horror film. I’ll give him credit on his voice which, while occasionally sounding like a Joe Goldberg knock-off, does at least possess a small degree of menace. The supporting cast does what they can, particularly Holland Rodel, who acts her socks off as Detective McChesney, playing her essentially as a Clarice Starling clone but not even her dedication to the role can salvage this crap. A rare highlight is the reliable Lin Shaye as Bundy’s mother, the veteran horror actress delivering a solid turn as a woman in denial about her son’s true nature. Although even she can’t save absurd dialogue about how ‘ …..Ted was conceived in Hell. I guess my father was the devil’.

While arguably not as baffling or offensive as his previous works, although it does push it, American Boogeyman is another strange instalment in Daniel Farrands misguided true-crime horror series. Terribly scripted, tastelessly directed, bound to infuriate with its blatant disregard for accuracy that makes a mockery of artistic license, and boasting a depiction of Ted Bundy that arguably glorifies him, American Boogeyman is possibly one of the worst true crime films I’ve ever seen. And that’s even without going into the dream scene of dominatrix mannequins beating Bundy. Oh yes, this thing gets fucking weird. Check it out, but only if you’re willing to scrape under the barrel.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★/ Movie: ★

Graeme Robertson

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Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021)

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