Skylar Jones
Arts Editor
Netflix recently released “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes,” providing an inside look at America’s most notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy.
Disclaimer: the events described are highly disturbing and troubling.
“Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” gives viewers chills, providing insight to Ted Bundy’s murders. The series provides viewers with an in-depth description of these murders, as well as the psychological process of the infamous killer.
Due to the heavy content, the show is disturbing, yet intriguing to viewers, providing a deep look into Ted Bundy’s murders and his psychological disorder.
Journalists Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth interviewed Bundy in the early 1980’s in Florida State Prison as an attempt to discover as much as possible about the serial killer, including his motivations, his psychological influence and the killings themselves. Michaud and Aynesworth struggle to figure out Bundy and initially are left with minimal information. They finally break Bundy by getting him to talk about the homicides in third-person and his story begins there.
Ranking above serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson, Ted Bundy is referred to as America’s most notorious serial killer of all time. Described from an outside perspective, Bundy was said to be a well-mannered, intelligent, handsome individual, in addition to being a psychotic killer.
After several years of research from Michaud and Aynesworth, Bundy’s murders revealed him to be a serial killer, kidnapper, rapist, burglar, sadist and necrophiliac. Bundy’s life eventually ended by execution on Jan. 24, 1989 in Florida State Prison after receiving two death sentences for his crimes.
Michaud and Aynesworth administered several taped interviews with Bundy himself. Although gruesome and disturbing, the tapes are intriguing, allowing viewers to attempt to understand what went through this killer’s mind when raping and murdering young women.
“Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” is brilliantly formatted, following Bundy’s entire life from adolescence to his death. The show begins in the 1960s and ends at the electric chair, providing a close up of the serial killer’s life up until the end. This allows viewers to follow his life approach and understand what led to his killing spree.
The documentary starts slowly due to Bundy’s resistance to open up to the interviewers. He holds back most information about the murders and exclusively gives factual details without showing any emotion. However, once asked to speak in third-person about the events, the show quickly picks up its pace and gives in-depth information on his motives, tactics and psychological disorders.
For individuals interested in the field of criminology, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” is the perfect show. Interviews are held with detectives, witnesses and the killer himself. The show also provides insight to Bundy’s psychoanalysis, which eventually is classified as manic-depression, a disorder usually characterized by episodes of mood swings, from depressive lows to manic highs.
Most importantly, the documentary provides extensive information about the murders themselves. On the record, Bundy killed approximately 30 women. Although the idea of incorporating these facts is troubling to many viewers, it allows for greater knowledge of Bundy’s homicides and provides viewers with the details necessary to judge the killer.
“Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” is not an easy watch, especially for younger viewers. Most viewers find the events described in the documentary very disturbing. Overall, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” provides viewers with enough information to understand Ted Bundy and the details of his murders, as well as the factors that led him to murder women as violently as he did.
Released on Jan. 24, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” is available to stream on Netflix.
Leave a Reply