Charlie Says Brings the Pitfalls of Idolization to Life

Charlie Says might not be the best depiction of the time in which Charles Manson terrorized the west coast, but it does bring a new light to the women that fell victim to his “charms.” Following Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkins, the movie shows just how much Manson got into their heads and made them believe his teachings.

Ostensibly, Charles Manson created the Manson family for those who wanted to escape the confines of their own restrictive homes and live in the freedom that he promised them. That freedom was surrounded by love, free sex, and a life of living off the land. Until it wasn’t. Manson was driven by his own desire for fame, and that led to his murderous intentions, even if he himself never carried out the actual crimes.

Those who did, though, include the three women who went to jail for their involvement in the murder of Sharon Tate. What I loved about this movie was that it focused its energy on these women and what they believed because of Manson. Sure, Manson (portrayed by Matt Smith) had his time onscreen, but the movie showed him through their eyes, through stories and instances they recalled leading up to their incarceration.

Compared to other movies coming out about famed killings and killers throughout American history, Charlie Says actually follows through on exploring why these women followed Manson and did his bidding, unlike a movie like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which makes Ted Bundy out to be the charming man he wanted people to see without showing the monster that lived inside him.

Maybe it’s because Charlie Says shows these three women realize their crimes and break with the knowledge of what they’ve done, or maybe it’s because it shows the power that Charles Manson had over those who lived on his compound, but whatever it is, something about Charlie Says works and provides us with a new and interesting look into Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkin.

(image: Epic Level Entertainment)

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Rachel Leishman

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Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.

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