Don't miss the next show!

Join our newsletter to receive a monthly summary about new collections published.
Don't worry, no crap, no spam, we hate that stuff too LOL

the best documentaries hero image popcorn
Documentaries about Ted Bundy

The Best 3 Documentaries about Ted Bundy

Comprehensive list of the best documentary about Ted Bundy, one of America's most notorious serial killers.

Intro: Ted Bundy Documentaries

Since the 1970s, Ted Bundy has been one of the most notorious serial killers in America. Though he was executed over thirty years ago, his crimes continue to fascinate the public. In light of this, it's no surprise that there have been a number of documentaries made about him over the years. If you're interested in learning more about Bundy and his gruesome crimes, here are four must-watch documentaries about him.

It's hard to believe that a man who was once so charming and charismatic could be capable of committing such heinous crimes, but that is exactly what Ted Bundy did. Between the years 1974 and 1978, Bundy is believed to have abducted and murdered over 30 women.

Although never convicted of murdering them, Bundy is also suspected in the murders of up to 100 young women across seven states in the 1970s.

Despite his appalling track record, there are still some who defend Bundy and claim he was wrongly accused. What could possibly motivate a person to commit such terrible acts? To this day, it remains one of the most perplexing mysteries in history.

During his trial, Bundy received the death penalty three times , but he cheated the executioner on all three occasions. After spending nearly a decade in prison, Bundy escaped from custody twice; once in 1977 and again in 1979. His final escape wasn't any different than his previous ones: he sawed through the ceiling of his cell using a hacksaw blade and jumped from the second floor. One year later, after assaulting several more victims, Bundy was finally recaptured and sentenced to die via electric chair .

On January 24th, 1989 - after months of struggling with the courts - Bundy was put to death by lethal injection.

1. Ted Bundy Documentary by Documentary Central

In a culture obsessed with celebrity criminals, Ted Bundy's name is one of the most recognizable. He was handsome and articulate, yet he became an infamous serial killer who assaulted and murdered numerous young women in cold blood. In this documentary you'll hear from those who knew him best as well as psychologists, authors, journalists and criminologists to find out why he did it.

2. Ted Bundy's Final Interview with Dr. James Dobson - Ted Bundy Documentaries

Ted Bundy's final interview with Dr. James Dobson before he was executed on January 24th 1989.

This is the full Ted Bundy interview from 23rd January 1989, in which he discusses his life and crimes in detail.

The video also features an exclusive interview with Dr James Dobson about his experience of meeting Ted, as well as some reflections on Ted's death sentence.

Dr. James Dobson is a clinical psychologist and the Founder of 'Focus on The Family'. He also interviewed Charles Manson at San Quentin Prison in 1971, but this was before Manson's follower's murdered actress Sharon Tate - something that greatly upset Dr. Dobson who had visited with Mr. Manson out of curiosity.

Dr Dobson has previously written about his experience of interviewing Bundy in his book, 'Whatever happened to the human race?' where he stated that he had met Bundy several times and considered him to be a friend. However, after meeting Charles Manson, Dr Dobson felt that the serial killer would never repent or show remorse for his crimes despite visiting him more than thirty times over two years.

Dr James Dobson discusses how he 'saw through' Ted Bundy's mask and what life was like with other death row inmates including Henry Lee Lucas who confessed to killing hundreds of people but later recanted this information.

From early childhood, serial murderer Theodore Robert Bundy seemed an unlikely candidate for infamy - much less multiple convictions for murder and a string of other charges such as kidnapping and rape. The eldest son of a local Republican Party leader in Washington state, Ted was intelligent, personable and engaging with what one friend described as "a marvelous sense of humor". He played the saxophone and became an excellent student at the University of Washington, where he studied Chinese while keeping busy with volunteer work and an assortment of part-time jobs.

At one point, Bundy nearly qualified for the U.S. Olympic team as a middle-distance runner. He became an ardent follower of the charismatic leader of the local "Sunshine cult," which advocated unlimited sexual freedom and promiscuity; but this ended when his mother moved to Tacoma in 1969 and he saw less of her for several years - causing him profound emotional distress, according to some accounts. These periods of instability often coincided with violent crimes committed by Bundy...

When Washington police began investigating disappearances in 1974, they noticed that many young women who had left the Seattle area suddenly vanished without a trace during holiday weekends or other times when there was little likelihood that they would return home.

In the 1970s, serial killing was not a term frequently used by law enforcement and the news media. Bundy's activities were not known as "serial killings" until many years later. Instead, authorities at the time called such incidents — including dozens of college students killed in Oregon — "mass murders."

According to an FBI study, Ted Bundy confessed to 30 killings in seven states between 1974 and 1978 - all but one of his victims were females who ranged in age from about 12 to 27 . [NOTE: this is only one-third correct]

Even though he faced murder charges in three states, Bundy spent much of his time trying to stay alive through numerous appeals... He also worked on his memoirs and other writings while behind bars.

Bundy said he first started having violent thoughts at the age of 6 when he crossed paths with a neighborhood child who had struck his younger sister. The boy threatened Bundy, then beat him badly. "That was my introduction to violence which was very counterproductive to development," Bundy said.

"After that instance I began to fantasize about what it would be like to kill, but of course, I couldn't do that." He said it wasn't until much later that those violent fantasies turned into something more concrete and escalated "to rather serious crimes."

He didn't name names, but Bundy claimed there were many accomplices — including some who are still alive — whom no one knew about and probably never would. Those people — mostly young men, who picked up female hitchhikers, Bundy said — are now married with kids. "They have no idea that years ago they incidentally or intentionally killed some young woman in Washington State," he said.

"It'll probably mean absolutely nothing to them." The interview ended soon after that comment, but not before the killer made one more eyebrow-raising remark. "I really enjoyed speaking with you," he told Higgins over the phone. "You're obviously a very intelligent man … I want you to be happy."

3. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes - Ted Bundy Netflix Documentary

A Netflix original docuseries exploring the life of infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, from his early days to the murders that rocked Seattle in 1974.

Ted Bundy was one of America's most notorious serial killers. The charming and handsome young man's true nature was revealed only after he had brutally murdered 30 innocent women across seven states. Yet before committing these crimes, he managed to live what some would call a normal childhood- or so it seemed...

Based on the best-selling book of the same name, written by Bundy's longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, this is a gripping docu-series that goes deep into Ted Bundy's early life to finally answer questions surrounding his growing up years, and what led him down such a dark path.

What made the young Ted turn against society in such a rage? As he grew older even his closest friends couldn't understand his motives. How did Bundy become known as 'The most cold-hearted son of a bitch you'll ever meet'?

This is an intimate portrait of one of America's most infamous serial killers revealing how he preyed upon young women in order to fulfil his deranged fantasies.

Conclusions: Ted Bundy Documentaries

We hope you enjoyed our post on the best Ted Bundy documentaries. If you would like to learn more about this topic, please see below for some related content that we think will be of interest to you. Have a great day!

Images credits: Unsplash.com