Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile starring Zac Efron gets an R rating

Netflix’s Ted Bundy biopic starring Zac Efron received an R rating from the MPAA for “disturbing content.”

What comes as a surprise to probably no one, the upcoming Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile received an R rating when submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), according to a report from Cinema Blend.

Cinema Blend shared the MPAA official rating: “Rated R for disturbing/violent content, some sexuality, nudity and language.”

The film stars Zac Efron as notorious serial killer/rapist Ted Bundy and will focus on his crimes/trial/time in prison. Given the content of the film and the fact that the first trailer heavily focused on some of the violence perpetrated by Bundy, it seemed obvious that the film would receive the R rating, and this is probably for the best since telling a story such as this one requires a more adult take.

More from Netflix Originals

• Here’s the release schedule for My Demon on Netflix
• The true story behind The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984
• Bridgerton season 3 skipping Benedict is disappointing for book fans
• You and 5 more Netflix shows that shouldn’t have been renewed in 2023
• Netflix is adding 45 new movies and shows this week (Nov. 26, 2023)

Again, given that Bundy is directly connected to AT LEAST 30 victims and possibly more the rating and “disturbing” content make sense. However, what makes this rating interesting is that while the film will indeed be released in a few theaters later on this year it is primarily a Netflix movie after having been bought by the streaming service after its showing at the Sundance film festival and usually Netflix can be very inconsistent in the rating of their content.

In the past, some Netflix films have been rated according to the TV-MA or similar TV rating guidelines while others have been given the MPAA style of ratings. It has not been consistent.

According to the Cinema Blend report, Netflix officially joined the MPAA to make it clear that they want to compete directly with other large film distributors, which makes sense after the recent success of Roma at the Oscars and other large Hollywood award shows. After joining the MPAA it seems that more if not all the Netflix original films will receive the kinds of rating that U.S. audiences are familiar with. It’ll be much easier for subscribers to find suitable content for themselves and others.

Netflix is doubling down on its Ted Bundy related content with this film and the recently released Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will also star Lilly Collins, Jim Parsons and John Malkovich. The film is expected to be released this year, but the exact release date has yet to be announced.

Keep checking back for updates on this film and other Netflix original content!