CHARLIE SAYS (2019)

Starring Matt Smith, Hannah Murray, Sosie Bacon, Suki Waterhouse

Directed by Mary Harron

Screenplay by Guinevere Turner

104 minutes. Rated R. Opening this Friday in select theaters. On VOD May 17th.

What does it say about our culture that every time a new crime related film, TV show or podcast lands on our radar, it can so quickly become the latest sensation? Since the beginning of 2019, Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed, and Hulu’s The Act, are just a few of these that have found a loyal fanbase among the curious and intrigued. Adding to this growing repertoire of fascinating evil acts made for public consumption is director Mary Harron’s biopic Charlie Says, a film that chronicles how one teenager went from an innocent all-American girl to cold-blooded killer.

Charles Manson believed he was more popular than Jesus. He thought that when the apocalypse came, he would be responsible for starting a new community and life on Earth after cryptic messages from “Helter Skelter” on The Beatles’ White Album directed him to. Clearly, Charles Manson was not mentally sound. So how did he convert so many men and women into believing in him, following him, and committing heinous crimes on his command? Charlie Says is an attempt to answer this question by infiltrating the minds of three of his “Earth Mothers”: Leslie “Lulu” Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia “Katie” Krenwinkle (Sosie Bacon), and Susan “Sadie” Atkins (Marianne Rendon).

This approach should have been enough to make Charlie Says a powerful and – dare I say – sympathetic look at how these impressionable women fell under the spell of a manipulative and maniacal demigod. Unfortunately, the dive doesn’t feel quite deep enough to make an emotional impact. It’s a lot to tackle in just 104 minutes, but Charlie Says, which is mostly told through flashbacks, unsatisfyingly skims the surface of what could have been a multi-part series about three women who can finally think for themselves and reflect on their actions as they sit in prison for life.

Matt Smith as Charles Manson is one of the film’s stronger pillars, he completely transforms into the enthusiastic and arrogant, yet musically adept, cult leader. As an ensemble piece, Charlie Says is very impressive. Strong performances from Murray as the lead, as well as supporting actors Kayli Carter (Private Life), Chace Crawford, and Merritt Wever round out a solid cast. Another strong visual is the styling (many of the girls’ outfits ended up on my Pinterest board).

Charlie Says has made its way through the festival circuit (Venice Intl Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival), finally finding a home at IFC Films. It may not be the strongest biopic of a murderer and the heartbreaking aftermath, but it’s definitely worth a watch… if you’re into that sort of thing.