Stars: Richard Mark, Lara Goodison, Mark Homer, Paris Stangl, Andromeda Godfrey, Rahel Kapsaski, Jared Nelson, Emma Stacey, Lola Claire, Phillip Roy | Written and Directed by Andrew Jones
Andrew Jones has directed and written A LOT of horror movies since his debut, Teenage Wasteland, back in 2006. With Bundy and the Green River Killer, Jones takes on the true crime story that inspired Silence of the Lambs, the story of The Green River Killer that took place in Washington State back in the 80s.The notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is imprisoned and on death row in the state of Florida for his horrific crimes, but soon afterwards a woman is murdered and many more bodies are discovered in Green River.
We follow the character of Detective David Richards, a man tormented by the murders uncovered in Green River. With no leads and building frustration and desperation, Richards seeks out help from an FBI agent named Bob Keller, a man who was part of the team who took down Ted Bundy in the years prior and put him on death row. The lack of evidence and solid profiling leads us to Bob and David visiting Ted Bundy in prison after he offers his help to assist them in finding the Green River Killer. This relationship allows a crucial and comprehensive glance into a different perspective from one of the most shocking and vile killers to ever exist.
The plot is based on the true accounts of this moment in history, a dark and grisly moment that has been covered from time to time in films in the past. I thought Jones did a solid job at giving us a faithful narration of the events, with a slick direction, fine writing and a selection of solid performances from his cast. The casting, it must be said, was obviously thought about for a while, and I was impressed with the portrayals of the characters, especially that of Bundy, from Richard Mark. Now, I wasn’t previously familiar with Mark, he seems to have worked predominantly in short film work, but I was impressed with what he did here. I’ve seen plenty of interviews of Bundy and documentaries that delve into his personality, and I thought, in both physical aspects and mannerisms, Mark did a strong job at bringing the infamous killer to the screen.
I don’t want to give too much away, because not everyone will know too much about this case, and it’s a very intriguing and riveting one to follow. Jared Nelson (Alcatraz) as Gary Ridgway puts in a tense, uncomfortably weird performance too, and I say that in a positive way. He’s creepy, like he should be, and Nelson brought a depth to the role. It’s also worth mentioning that Mark Homer (Eastenders) brings a sanity to the story, his relationship with his family and his desperate need to do his job giving his character a variety of faces. It’s a strong film when it comes to the acting, and I also thought the overall tone and atmosphere was handled well. It’s a creepy movie. It feels uncomfortable, and the darkness it inhabits brings a real feel of impending doom to the many sequences.
It looks terrific, the cinematography and sound design working wonderfully with the foreboding mood. The handling of true events, especially true-crime, can be tough, and there are always going to be some things missing, some changes made in order to smooth things out, but Jones does deserve credit for producing a gritty and very interesting portrait of two notorious murderers and the case of the Green River Killer. I’ve seen plenty of serial killer films, and I thought this was certainly a decent one. It does feel slow at times, perhaps too slow on occasion, and not every element hits, but I did feel like it hit more often than many films in this sub-genre tend to do.
Blending horror with crime and drama, Bundy and the Green River Killer is a serious movie, and it’s seriously worth your time.
Bundy and the Green River Killer is out on DVD now from 4Digital Media. Order your copy at Amazon.
