The true story of the bizarre pseudo friendship that formed between
FBI profiler Bill Hagmaier and convicted serial killer Ted Bundy. BIOPIC/CRIME/DRAMA
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No Man of God (2021)Directed by Amber Sealey
Written by Kit Lesser Starring Elijah Wood, Luke Kirby, Robert Patrick, Aleksa Palladino, W. Earl Brown |
We have an odd fascination with serial killers. We want to know everything about them. How they grew up, who their friends were, and ultimately what it was about them that made them kill. It had to be something weird, right? Otherwise, it's something primal that lives inside all of us. And that's where the fascination comes from. We all at one point wonder what it would feel like to take a life, but there's a special, unflinching sort of evil that lives inside these monsters. Enter Ted Bundy, arguably America's most infamous serial killer. He was an ordinary man who was raised in a good home, yet he raped, strangled, or carved up at least thirty women. To identity the broken switch in Bundy's head that made him like this, FBI profiler Bill Hagmaier was chosen, as he was the only fed Bundy would talk to. At the time, Bundy was on death row and still professing his innocence. But that would change.
No Man of God is a fascinating character study of both men, Bundy (Kirby) and Hagmaier (Wood). Two men with similar backgrounds and educations whose lives took vastly different directions. The entire movie is built around their conversations, which are absolutely mesmerizing. Luke Kirby, especially, is transformative as Ted Bundy. He's playing Bundy during his last days, when he started to sweat a little as he got closer and closer to the electric chair. He's anxious, afraid for his soul, and ultimately continues to act like he's the victim. Not one ounce of remorse for his victims, like a true monster. On the other side, you've got rookie profiler Bill Hagmaier, who treated Bundy like a human being and actually got him to open up where others failed. Bundy, in the film, argues that Hagmaier was a darkness inside him that allows them to connect. Maybe. Who knows? This film is as close as we're gonna get to a third season of Mindhunter, so savor it. It explores the complex nature of a man like Ted Bundy, who wasn't crazy in the clinical sense, but he was pure evil. A man like that has to be. He can't be normal, or else everything we know about people changes forever. Regrettably, the name Ted Bundy will live forever, while many people can't even name one of his many victims. And that goes for every other serial killer and inhuman monster that's been caught. Sure, in a way, movies like this are a big part of the problem, but it's also important to dramatize these stories. It helps us to comprehend the existence of actual, undeniable evil. |
It’s no secret America’s fascination with infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy. The amount of films we’ve been getting, and have been announced, is evidence enough. But what about him has made us so obsessed? It could be what he brought forth to the American consciousness. No longer was the boogeyman a clearly creepy looking dude you made sure to stay away from. Now it was the charming and handsome neighbor you exchanged pleasantries with. It was the kind man whose car was broken down and needed help. It was the man who you thought was not capable of such atrocities. His heinous crimes were a huge reason the FBI started to change how they viewed repeat offenders and began the process of profiling criminals to stop further horrendous acts of violence from happening. Bundy is not just a monster. He’s America’s boogeyman.
No Man of God decides to tell the story of famed FBI profiler Bill Hagmaier and his time spent talking to Bundy during his incarceration on death row. What makes this story significant is the claim which says Bundy only ever confessed his crimes to Hagmaier. Playing these two people are Luke Kirby and Elijah Wood. Kirby excels as the infamous serial killer. He delivers a performance perfectly depicting the man who could charm and manipulate you while still being a complete monster who did what he did just because he could. Wood is excellent as the FBI agent interviewing him simply to get a better understanding of who this person is underneath the monster. Something which would be valuable in the world of profiling killers. While they are both great individually, their scenes together are the true highlight of the film. They are simply magnetic to watch together. Other than the recent content involving the well-known serial killer, this stands as one of the best films about him. By focusing on his final years on death row and the interviews conducting with Hagmaier, we get a gripping tale which delves into the psyche of a killer and anchored by powerful performances. |