Can a conversation change how we see evil? FBI Agent Bill Hagmaier’s own search for answers from one of America’s most notorious serial killers plays out in “No Man of God.” The project, which premiered at Tribeca, focuses on Hagmaier going face to face with Ted Bundy. Instead of the usual serial killer fare, ‘God’ chooses to showcase the final period of Bundy’s life. Past the brutal crimes, what is left relies on the last gaps of someone unrepentant and unremorseful.
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The film finds its balance in lead actors Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby. Wood portrays Hagmaier as a steady voice in contrast to the monster which sits across from him. ‘God’ also represents another step in a growing list of producer credits for the actor who is also co-founder of SpectreVision. Kirby is equally proficient as the infamous Bundy; he utilizes the dialogue and spatial aspects to define the true nature of his role.
Director Amber Sealey comes to the project several years after her feature film “No Light and No Land Anywhere” received critical acclaim. Both ‘Land’ and ‘God’ give her a chance to explore character-driven pieces, something different than the usual tropes surrounding the latter’s subject matter. Screenwriter C. Robert Cargill — credited as Kit Lesser — veers away from sensationalizing as he delves into the authentic thoughts of a captured Bundy. The project stands as a departure for the writer whose next film is the Joe Hill adaptation “The Black Phone.”
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The film’s official synopsis:
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“In 1980, Ted Bundy was sentenced to death by electrocution. In the years that followed, he agreed to disclose the details of his crimes, but only to one man. “No Man of God” is based on the true story of the strange and complicated relationship that developed between FBI agent Bill Hagmaier (Wood) and an incarcerated Ted Bundy (Kirby) in the years leading to Bundy’s execution.”
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Robert Patrick and Aleksa Palladino also star in “No Man of God.” The film is set for an August 2021 release. Watch the new trailer now.
