Synopsis
Three young women were sentenced to death in the infamous Manson murder case, but when the death penalty was lifted, their sentence became life imprisonment. One young graduate student was sent in to teach them – and through her we witness their transformations as they face the reality of their horrific crimes.
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Cast
- Hannah MurrayLeslie Van Houten
- Sosie BaconPatricia Krenwinkel
- Marianne RendónSusan Atkins
- Merritt WeverKarlene Faith
- Matt SmithCharles Manson
- Suki WaterhouseMary Brunner
- Chace CrawfordTex Watson
- Annabeth GishVirginia Carlson
- Kayli CarterLynette 'Squeaky' Fromme
- Cameron GellmanBobby Beausoleil
Recommendations
- 70
The Hollywood Reporter
As a portrait of bogus revolutionary rhetoric used to undermine and control women, it’s thoughtful and provocative. - 60
The Telegraph
This is an innovative, occasionally provocative, often frustrating film, but one whose perspectives on guilt and victimhood offer a new angle on a notorious case. - 50
IndieWire
If nothing else, Charlie Says succeeds in demystifying the man with a pentagram carved into his skull: He may be society’s go-to conception of evil, but he was also a drugged-out racist who wrote forgettable songs that even his acolytes probably didn’t enjoy as much as they were letting on. - 50
Variety
The film Harron delivers is so ambivalent as to be frustratingly gun-shy about truly asserting a point of view, or adding anything meaningful to the already thriving cottage industry of Manson-adjacent storytelling. - 50
Slant Magazine
The film appears to be striving for humanistic understanding, but the end result is far too jumbled to have the proper impact. - 42
The Playlist
[A] bland, sometimes dull film ... Those unfamiliar with the history of the Manson Family murders won’t gain any real understanding of the crimes or the character of those who committed them, while those who know the details won’t get any new insights into it either. - 40
The Guardian
It has none of the brilliance and insight of Emma Cline’s 2016 novel The Girls, on roughly the same subject. - 40
Screen Daily
Skimpy psychological insight, a clumsy structure and what turns out to be a miscast Smith all contribute towards what seems like a wasted opportunity.
