Just when you thought you had seen all the Ted Bundy films available, here comes another one – a much superior one.
So here we have it, another film about the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, I understand this to be the 10th film now, and the 2nd film this year as well actually – there does seem to be a worrying fascination from Americans about this infamous nutter, worrying to say the least. However, No Man of God is a surprising change of scenery compared to its predecessors, as it focuses on the relationship between FBI special agent Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood) and Ted Bundy (Luke Kirby), using real life transcripts selected from conversations the two men had together between 1984-1989.
It is an interesting angle to develop the story, you watch the two men bond and get to know each other, both trying to figure the other out in this mental game of chess. Their relationship crosses the border of what is acceptable (the man is a serial killer let’s not forget), they almost become friends. Is it a rouse by Hagmaier to get into the mind of Bundy, or does he genuinely like him?
This American crime film (directed by Amber Sealey) could be the most obscure and far out buddy movie of all time; they make each other laugh, they share stories from childhood, don’t forget what side you’re on fellas. The acting is superb though; Wood plays the inquisitive intellectual, the good guy with a fascination of Bundy. Kirby plays the cool, calm, and collected serial killer with a genuine creepiness, but also highlights how normal he could be (something Bundy constantly tries to reaffirm), he is confident and strangely likeable – don’t be suckered in now.
The film is obviously dialogue heavy, but it is very fluid; their conversations roll off the tongue and they share a great rapport with one another. They both respect each other’s intellectual prowess, testing one another’s mental stability. The framing matches this perfectly, it was an important technique used in the film, with each man on a different side of the frame (one to the left and one to the right) two sides of the law as it were. The camera also flows around the room creating different angles, brilliantly matching the tone of the room – there really is more than meets the eye with this one.
No Man of God begins with some generic home movie footage, possibly of Bundy, we’ll never know – unless we look it up. The FBI have been given the green light to mix up their interviewing techniques because of the success of a recent unnamed killers confession, which leads to up-and-coming FBI agent Bill Hagmaier being given the go ahead to get into the mind of Bundy and attempt to secretly force a confession out of him where all the others failed. There is a very intense first meeting between the two men which gives you an idea of the way things will go.
The two men go back and forth over time; bonding over shared interests, with Hagmaier attempting to piece together a confession from his now friend, and Bundy being sucked in by the agent’s charm and openness to share his own personal demons. It leads all the way up to Bundy’s impending execution and his confessions, something that created a media frenzy – Bundy had a bit of a following from both sides of the argument. Why? I have no idea, you can be as charming as you like Bundy, you’re still a psycho.
No Man of God is a unique film because it attempted to show Bundy as something other than a heartless killer with a lack of empathy, trying to explore his more relatable side and his intricate thought process. This was an extremely wicked and troubled man, but he was also very intelligent, which is doubly scary. It was also an insight into Hagmaier, the man we know nothing about, a man who also comes across as confused and troubled, desperate to get into the mind of Bundy. Is Hagmaier scared about getting too close to Bundy? He seems hell bent on doing what’s best for the killer which is a great moral level for his character.
This was an incredibly eerie film; psychologically disturbing that had brilliant acting by Kirby and Wood. It is without a doubt the best portrayal of Ted Bundy I have ever seen – better than himself even. It was more than I expected it to be, I wondered if it would just be another Bundy film that glamorized the man like so many others of the past. What it became was an exploration of the unlikeliest of friendships, between two men who have many similarities (they understand each other on a cellular level) but are still massively different – morally. It felt like a study of behaviour and reasoning, regardless of how evil someone is, the correct procedures must be taken – the eternal moral conundrum many people can’t quite get to grips of.
No Man of God is available to watch on selected VOD platforms now.
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