From 1974 to 1978, infamous serial killer Ted Bundy murdered more than 30 women in seven different states. His atrocities have been studied for years, but in this 2018 Netflix docuseries, director Joe Berlinger focuses on how Bundy escaped notice because of his seemingly normal, attractive appearance.\u00a0 Several key investigators are interviewed, and the film also intercuts clips and interviews\u00a0 with Stephen G. Michaud, a reporter who interviewed Bundy while he was on death row. Throughout the series, Bundy\u2019s chilling voice describes what he must have been thinking while committing these crimes.<\/p>\n
The docuseries follows what Bill Nichols calls the participatory mode of documentary filmmaking, relying on interviews to supplement archival footage. Berlinger himself is an entirely absent voice from the series itself, so that the series can focus on\u00a0the perception of Bundy by the public. Berlinger shows the viewer several moments in the film where Bundy himself was doubted as the killer, both by normal citizens and police officers. Early in Bundy\u2019s crimes, for instance, one witness provided a description of him and heard him identify himself as Ted to the woman who had later been murdered. She also saw the car Bundy was driving. The police, now holding this information, brought in several “Teds” including Bundy. Officers then released Bundy, due to a lack of evidence or prior arrests. Berlinger includes this to show the viewer that police weren\u2019t looking for a normal-looking individual, but someone with a history of violence.<\/p>\n
The inability of the investigators to perceive Bundy as a potential suspect is echoed by scenes later in the series where Bundy is on trial and a news channel interviews a woman outside saying he could not have done it. They say his good looks and charm make him seem innocent; some even say he might not be innocent, but they still think he\u2019s attractive and would risk an attack for some time with him. These moments are used to show the unique and unprecedented nature of the case. With other serial killers, a clear mental problem often made them stick out; but Bundy, however, came across as just a normal guy, making his case much eerier for prosecutors and viewers alike.<\/p>\n