No Man of God (2021) Review

It’s no secret that people have always been fascinated by murder and the macabre. Where huge crowds would previously gather to witness a public execution, individuals can now conveniently get their fix of death and depravity without ever leaving their home. You only need scroll through what’s popular on Netflix to see that society at large can’t get enough of True Crime, with shows like Making a Murderer captivating audiences worldwide.

In a time where almost everything is immediately accessible, the largely desensitised nation craves more explicit imagery and brutality to satiate the fascination with all things taboo. And yet whilst the depths of human deviance are right at our fingertips, there is one name that keeps coming back around.

Ted Bundy.

As such a notorious killer, you would think his story had been done to death. Yet more than 30 years since his execution the nation remains fascinated, with two films on Bundy being released in 2021 alone.

No Man of God screened at London Frightfest and whilst the true crime feature may seem a somewhat abstract choice for a horror festival, it stands as an ominous reminder that sometimes the very worst things we can experience are real.

I was intrigued to catch this, having previously watched a number of documentaries on the case and read arguably the most famous Bundy biography “The Stranger Beside Me”, by Ann Rule.

The sheer volume of media on Bundy has, to some extent, diluted the ‘shock factor’, and trying to tackle the subject without seeming exploitative has meant there hasn’t been a fresh take for a while. “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” from 2019 certainly tried, and whilst I was all for the casting of squeaky clean Zac Efron, it didn’t quite hit it for me.

No Man of God from Director Amber Sealey is based on the work of Criminal Profiler Bill Hagmaier and focuses on Bundy’s last years on death row. Elijah Wood portrays the young Hagmaier with Luke Kirby (Gossip Girl/Blindspot) starring alongside him as the infamous killer.

True crime fanatics will recognise many of the scenes that play out between the two men as they navigate the power dynamic, testing each other as their mutual understanding grows into something resembling an oddly normal friendship.

The film definitely focuses on the dialogue – and yet it often feels that more is said in the subtle actions and power plays that are depicted – with the slow camera angles and tightly cropped shots making the viewer at times feel privy to intensely intimate moments.

Kirby manages to capture the charming arrogance of Bundy with ease. What initially appears outwardly to be a calm scene and an innocuous request manages to takes on more meaning as you sense Bundy testing the limits of the relationship and what he can get from Hagmaier, with a simple piece of gum. The delivery of some of these key moments allow the viewer to empathise with Hagmaier’s frustration as Ted continuously plays with the profiler, intent on having the upper hand.

As Hagmaier gets closer to Bundy, trying to understand his psyche – the audience feels Bundy reciprocally trying to dig into the profiler – and the similarities and parallels between the men are an interesting dynamic that perhaps touches on why Bundy disturbs us so much. It’s a creeping doubt that Kirby vocalises with the words, “Normal people kill people”.

It’s not a new approach to present the killer as a handsome, intelligent man. It’s hypothesised it’s one of the reasons he evaded suspicion for so long. People like to simplify those capable of such heinous acts as monsters with no ability for empathy, but No Man of God manages to envelop you

in Hagmaeir’s doubts without the profiler ever vocalising it. A casual conversation about their families could be two co-workers catching up over a coffee in the break room – an unnerving realisation you can see painted on Hagmaier’s face as the professional distance between himself and Bundy blurs.

The film itself has no physical depictions of violence, and I feel this helps to paint a picture of Ted’s carefully managed outward persona that saw him able to charm. It’s only as the reality of his diminishing time sets in that we begin to see Bundy crack, and Kirby’s portrayal of the killers true face and underlying vulnerability is both chilling and complex. Frantic to control the narrative until the very end, No Man of God highlights Bundy’s desperation and fear. It’s an oddly human reaction from someone we try to dismiss as monstrous.

This film is ALL about Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby, with both delivering some truly incredible performances. You won’t learn anything new about the case and if you’re looking for a fast paced, crime thriller – this definitely isn’t for you – however No Man of God manages, where others have failed, to bring a truly human element to the despicably inhumane.

Amber Sealey’s ‘No Man of God’ Special Edition Blu-ray arrives 25 October + Standard DVD from 101 Films.

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