Comparing and Contrasting Films About Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer [Murder Made Fiction]

Serial Killers of Women

It’s been two months of covering films and miniseries adaptations of the crimes of Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway. Jenn and I have unpacked the crimes of both serial killers, as well as their victims, the survivors, and the legacy they’ve left behind in both true crime and media.

The diverse titles have made us question the best approach for adapting the stories of extremely prolific killers in a way that doesn’t diminish their victims to mere body counts or statistics. It has also made us question if there is a “better” way to tell these stories, as many of them tend to lean into dark comedy (such as 2002’s Ted Bundy) or sensationalism (see: Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman).

And then there’s the uncomfortable realization that the main reason people know Bundy and not Gary Ridgway, aka The Green River Killer, is because the former is considered “hot” and is usually played by young, attractive stars such as Zac Efron and Chad Michael Murray.

Come to think of it, that’s something we noticed during our Jeffrey Dahmer run, as well…

Episode 27: Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer: Summary

After two months of discussing serial killers of women targeting the Pacific Northwest, we’re ready to wrap up our time with Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway.

Up for discussion: what makes them similar? What distinguishes them? Why are there so many more adaptations of Bundy’s story and who do most of them fail? And if the limited series model is the best way to tell both stories, is Ryan Murphy the (only) one to do it?

Next week, we kick off a new month focusing on “Survival Cannibalism,” with a look at the Miracle in the Andes and its two film adaptations Alive (1993) and Society of the Snow (2023) wherein a Uruguyan rugby team crashed in the mountains and had to consume the dead in order to survive.

Want even more Murder Made Fiction? Be sure to check out the pod’s Patreon feed, where we have 55 episodes of bonus content, including episodes dedicated to September 5, Munich, Colin Firth’s new terrorism Peacock series Lockerbie and – starting next week – daily catch up episodes on Showtime’s Yellowjackets S01 & S02, which also feature sports and survivor cannibalism!

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