No Man of God (2021) | Film Review

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, …So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  Genesis 1: 26-27

One of the first stories in the bible is that of a man and woman who were given one instruction,  do not eat from this one tree in the garden. One command, one rule, one idea that if acted upon would destroy our likeness of God and turn us into something else. No Man of God explores both sides of this very question, albeit in an interesting way with one of history’s most fascinating humans, Ted Bundy.  But there are two sides to every story and that is why this battle of wills – of what is right and what is wrong – requires a sparring partner.  Enter Special Agent Bill Hagmaier, one of the first five profilers selected by Ronald Regan in 1984 to be part of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. 

No Man of God takes place in the years leading up to the 1989 execution of Ted Bundy as writer Kit Lesser and director Amber Sealey take us on a journey not only inside the mind of Ted Bundy, but of Bill Hagmaier as well.  This is not the glorified rock star version of Ted Bundy we see in this film. It is the quiet, reserved, troubled human that actor Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) brings to life with an amazing performance; both in his expressive nature when Ted is animated, and even in the quiet moments when you ask yourself the question, “what is going to happen next!” 

Having seen Mrs. Maisel, where Kriby plays a comedian, the range Kirby brings to the Bundy character makes me appreciate his abilities even more than I already did. When the film goes down the path of, “is Bundy crazy, is Bundy insane?”, Kirby as Bundy delivers this one line with such simplicity you fear for your own soul: “Normal people kill people.”  

Bill Hagmaier is portrayed by Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings).  Elijah has never been one to deliver a poor performance and he shines here once again with his expressive eyes and simple hand movements to his head that showcases the processing he is going through about this man he has spent almost three years with. An up-and-coming former psychologist, Hagmaier volunteers to work with Bundy to get him to confess, learning all they can for the long term viability of the unit.   

The film takes place primarily within a holding cell, reliving some of the interviews between Hagmaier and Bundy as they begin to form an unlikely bond of understanding between the two of them.  We as the audience members get lured into Bundy’s charm, while at the same time feel terrified and fragile watching Hagmaier deal with the information being fed to him from his “friend”.  Real clips from the time are used in the production to showcase the emotions of the rest of the world relating to Bundy as they transition from segment-to-segment over the years trying to remind you what the man was responsible for. Yet Lesser and Sealy work in such unison with the story to keep bringing you back to a fundamental question; am I any better than Ted Bundy?

The limited use of sound and music in No Man of God also adds an environment that becomes larger than the room most of the movie is presented in. The synthesized orchestral backing, mixed with a pulsing organ as Kirby spins one of Bundy’s fantastic tales draws you in, causing you to feel your chest getting tighter waiting for a crash or a slam that never occurs. This leaves the audience with a sense of unease, of lack of resolution, bringing you right into the mind of how Special Agent Hagmaier was feeling at that exact moment.   

There is only one main female character in this movie which I assume was intentional given the nature of the story. Aleksa Palladino (The Irishman) plays the civil attorney assigned to Bundy to help him get a stay of execution or potentially moved from Florida to another state.  She acts as the conscience of the film, but also the political stance of the film’s makers. Palladino showcases clearly her loyalty to her job but also the disgust she has for Bundy, as well as how she is viewed by the rest of the prison staff because of her relation to Ted. 

The relationship between Hagmaier and Bundy takes us on a journey to answer the question posed above. Will we eat from the tree in the center of the garden? Or said another way, will our normalness give in and take a bite of murder? We are all human and come from the same place with the same tendencies. But do we have the one thing to actually act on said tendencies?  Are we no different than Ted, capable of rape and murder of over 30 women, some of which were just kids? Is Bill? Are we as humans no longer in God’s image? Is there No Man of God left in the world?  That answer lies with Bill and the eventual execution of Ted Bundy.