Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is one of Netflix’s most recent entries into their ever-growing collection of true crime projects. Conversations is a docu-series based off of the over 100 hours of interview tapes collected by Stephen G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth with Ted Bundy, one of the most infamous serial killers of all time. Accompanying these tapes is the story of Ted Bundy, tracing his life from his childhood to his nationwide killing spree, his impact on the media and the American culture, all the way until his eventual execution. Conversations was created by Joe Berlinger, who released this docu-series in anticipation of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, a Ted Bundy biopic Berlinger directed that will be released later this year.
The goal of this docu-series is to give context and build anticipation for Extremely Wicked, and I believe it accomplishes this goal very well. Ted Bundy is a figure I really only knew in name, and I wasn’t very familiar with who he was or what he did. In just four one-hour-long episodes, I received a brief history of what made Bundy so notorious, and I appreciate the efficiency. I was also quite surprised at how entertaining it was, using Bundy’s naturally enthralling persona to paint a really interesting portrait of him that grows in terror as the show progresses. I also liked how it explored how Bundy affected the media and gripped the American consciousness. This show is a frightening trip through the psyche of one of the most terrifying men to ever live, going over everyone and everything he affected.
The only issue I can find with this show is the length. Four hours is not really long enough to delve into a personality as complex as Ted Bundy. But I don’t believe that’s the point. The show is great as a brief overview of Ted Bundy, delivering some thrills and intriguing insight to boot.