Ted Bundy is the world's most famous serial killer. With over 30 confirmed homicides of young women and children Bundy kidnapped, raped, murdered and in some cases had intercourse with his dead victims. Without looking at Ted Bundy he seems like the most ugly person you would ever meet. But not when the serial killer looks like 2017's sexiest man alive.
Zac Efron plays Ted Bundy in the 2019 Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile where it follows Ted Bundy's girlfriend and her struggling thoughts about Ted Bundy's life. The issue with this film however is that when the main character is seen as one of the most attractive men in the entertainment industry it is hard for the audience to differentiate between the story and who portrays it. Also, this film depicts more scenes of flirtatious and sexual content than it does the horrible actions that made Ted Bundy the best at being the worst. With this, Netflix put out a series of statements urging viewers to stop sexualizing Ted Bundy following a documentary called Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes directed by Joe Berlinger, who also directed Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. However, it does not just stop with Ted Bundy.
Jeffrey Dahmer, also one of the world's most famous serial killers has been over romanticized in movies as well. Jeffrey Dahmer was known to rape, murder, dismember and eat his victims. Who were all men and young boys. Again, this type of violence should come from the most ugliest person. But, that is not the case for the actors who portray him.
In the 2017 film My Friend, Dahmer, Ross Lynch plays a young Jeffery Dahmer. In this film, the audience does not get to really see Dahmer as a monster but is forced to sympathise with him. It follows Jeffrey in a way that shows the 'why, he did it'. Almost justifying his actions. With the sympathy from the storyline and the handsome face of Ross Lynch the response is almost the same as Ted Bundy's films; romanticism.
Many fans have been quoted on 'feeling for Dahmer' and in some cases even relating to him. These view points bring out a more romantic view of who Dahmer really was. Just this film has also impacted fashion trends with many young people wearing his famous retro aviator glasses.
The point is not to say that the actors who portray these deadly and horrible people must be unattractive. It is to say that while they may be characters they were real people who impacted society in a negative way in the past. And should not be romanticised and seen as positive today.