Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 24, 2019
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8

Where To Watch

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Critic Reviews

  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Henrique DaMour
    Jan 22, 2019
    91
    The result is haunting, underscoring the evil you feel emanating from your screen that sticks to your bones. [25 Jan 2019, p.47]
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  2. Vox.com
    Reviewed by: Aja Romano
    Jan 25, 2019
    70
    Berlinger arguably could have kept much of the documentary’s archival source material, with its heavy emphasis on Bundy, while reframing the killer’s story as one about the women whose lives he cut short. Instead, he produced a perfectly serviceable Conversations that adds little to the conversation at all.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Katie Rife
    Jan 23, 2019
    58
    Ethical questions aside, the series’ dependence on Ted Bundy to tell the truth about Ted Bundy means that it doesn’t really bring much new information to the table.
  5. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Jan 29, 2019
    50
    Ultimately, Conversations with a Killer isn’t primed to make a person’s skin crawl. Unless the viewer is on the younger side and unfamiliar with Bundy, it contains no surprises, either. This isn’t the series’ fault, but a feature of time and entertainment trends.
  6. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Helen Brown
    Jan 3, 2020
    40
    Winding up with well-worn footage of Bundy’s trial and execution, this docuseries contains nothing that true crime fans haven’t heard before.
  7. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Lucy Mangan
    Dec 4, 2019
    40
    There are no narrative twists awaiting us here. No miscarriages of justice straining to be heard. No insights into the complexities of an unfolding case or scandal of corrupt policemen, judges, clergy or politicians. The tapes themselves are the USP here. ... The only truly chilling thing about Conversations With a Killer was how unchilling it was.
  8. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jan 31, 2019
    40
    Despite the editors’ superb interweaving of personal photos, police evidence, and archival footage of ’70s Seattle, Conversations with a Killer seems largely unaware of its own obliviousness. Just because the series, like Michaud, can’t get to the center of Bundy doesn’t mean that the only potentially interesting storytelling avenue has been obstructed, and therefore there’s nothing a filmmaker can do but say, “People are ultimately unknowable, and Bundy is no exception.”
  9. Variety
    Reviewed by: Daniel D'Addario
    Jan 18, 2019
    30
    Bundy is at best an unpleasant companion through four long episodes, and at worst repellent--makes Conversations With a Killer a must only for true-crime completists. ... For the uninitiated, though, the film takes the form of the banal audio footage at its core. ... [Director Joe Berlinger] never proves why Bundy matters as anything other than a case study in narcissism.

Awards & Rankings

92
#92 Most Discussed TV Season of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 25 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 4 out of 25
  1. kman5473
    Feb 7, 2019
    9
    It took me two viewings of this series back to back before I could understand what this adds to the conversation and study of serial killers,It took me two viewings of this series back to back before I could understand what this adds to the conversation and study of serial killers, psychopaths, and of course Ted Bundy. What is so haunting, and what really creeped me out the first time I watched this, is the fact that this show feels almost tame and without as intense of focus on the depravity and sadistic violence of the killer and instead chooses an angle that strongly allows for Bundy to maintain his narrative. I remember finishing this the first time and thinking, "I realize objectively that he is one of the worst serial killers of modern history, but I can't tell if I think he's actually a terrible guy." And it's because this series is able to tell its story with his social performance of charm and charisma at the front.
    Upon the second viewing was when the point really stuck: that's just how intensely powerful superficial behaviors are for most when determining the social merit of a person. It's easy to think when reading a history book about these individuals, "How come nobody could tell? It must have just been a continuous oversight that could have been rectified simply."
    Then of course, the analysis of the trial was completely fascinating to me. I think in general, American and British media alike tend to force a narrative about serial killers comparing them and perceiving them as if they are all Hannibal Lector--psycho genius with superior, emotionless intellect without any weaknesses. American celebrate psychopaths for being free of emotion, and they are elevated into being super villains. This documentary breaks that mold though, and it's so important! We see in the trial how Ted Bundy's psychopathy is not his greatest strength, it's an incredible weakness. He is a danger to himself and to others. Why? He is incapable of being emotionally vulnerable with anyone, including himself. He can't admit to his shortcomings, not his real shortcomings, and because of this we see how prevalent this dysfunction is and how much it hinders his ability to 1) defend himself productively, 2) let others defend himself, 3) retain an actual, emotional and feeling connection with humanity.
    This docu-series made me realize that psychopaths have a lot more in common with regular people, but with no way to rectify and satisfy and truly address their own emotional needs. They still feel the same feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, melancholy, and go through accepting how tiny they are compared with the rest of the world. The problem is that, with the psychopathy disorder, their response to dealing with these feelings is by denial, being the ultimate forms of selfish, and trying to fill themselves up with superficial purpose (namely, killing others and becoming "famous" and "powerful" in doing so). From this, I finally saw and could understand: psychopathy is, in fact, the ultimate personified form of personal trauma; the individual is forever locked in their disability of confronting their weaknesses and growing and moving on. Not that it justifies serial murders.    … Full Review »
  2. EPMD
    Jan 26, 2019
    3
    The show tried hard to bring a scary, eerie vibe, but you won't get much of that here. It's a psychopathic narcissist talking on tape, andThe show tried hard to bring a scary, eerie vibe, but you won't get much of that here. It's a psychopathic narcissist talking on tape, and much of the first episode involves listening to the interviewer bragging about how to get that narcissist talking. It's just not good television. The parts about the facts of the murders were told well, but ultimately, anyone who cares about this show probably knows those facts already anyway.… Full Review »
  3. solideater
    Mar 9, 2019
    6
    there sure is an eery feeling throughout the series, but in my opinion, looses focus very shortly on the importance of the tapes, that wasthere sure is an eery feeling throughout the series, but in my opinion, looses focus very shortly on the importance of the tapes, that was what drew me into watching the show. otherwise it doesn't seem to add anything new about Bundy.… Full Review »
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