Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Hannah Murray | ... | Leslie 'Lulu' Van Houten | |
Matt Smith | ... | Charles Manson | |
Sosie Bacon | ... | Patricia 'Katie' Krenwinkel | |
Marianne Rendón | ... | Susan 'Sadie' Atkins | |
Merritt Wever | ... | Karlene Faith | |
Suki Waterhouse | ... | Mary Brunner | |
Chace Crawford | ... | Tex Watson | |
Annabeth Gish | ... | Virginia Carlson | |
Kayli Carter | ... | Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme | |
Grace Van Dien | ... | Sharon Tate | |
Bridger Zadina | ... | Paul Watkins | |
Julia Schlaepfer | ... | Sandra Good | |
Dayle McLeod | ... | Catherine 'Gypsy' Share | |
Morgan Melton | ... | Ruth Ann Moorehouse | |
India Ennenga | ... | Linda Kasabian |
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. Written by Guinevere Turner
I consider myself to be an amateur "expert" on the Manson Family/Murders. This film has some historical inaccuracies (Linda Kasabian drove the murderers on both nights). But despite a few technical errors, it is a sensitive fiction of how the women came to grips with what they had done. But before you feel sorry for the Manson Girls know these facts: Susan Atkins had an extensive rap sheet long before knowing Manson. Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten were street-wise acid heads prior to falling under Manson's "spell". So don't be fooled into thinking that this trio were sweet, innocent virgins. Manson ordered the killings to appear as copy-cat murders to free Bobby (who appears early in the movie and would later kill musician Garry Hinman, along with Susan Atkins) It was refreshing to see a portrayal of Charlie that was not evil incarnate. Manson was nuts, but not a 24/7 paranoid psychopath. This portrayal is probably closer to the truth. I enjoyed it immensely. But we will never know the complete truth about the two nights of mayhem in August, 1969.