Hype is steadily building for Quentin Taratino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which revolves around the events of the Charles Manson murders, but Tarantino isn't the first director who has explored the horrific crimes in film.
Back in 2017, Manson died while serving a life sentence for his involvement in the brutal murders of seven people in 1969, including 8-month-pregnant actor Sharon Tate.
While Manson himself did not commit any of the murders, he was the leader of a violent cult called The Manson Family, made of mostly young middle-class women who carried out the killings on his behalf. As outlined by prosecutors at the time of his trial, Manson hoped the murders would be blamed on the Black Panthers, which would then lead to a race war. According to his "Helter Skelter" theory, Manson believed the Black Panthers would win the race war, but then would assign him as their leader.
The sheer gruesomeness and bizarre background to the killings earned Manson and his cult notoriety and a dark place in pop culture, and for many, it signaled the end of the '60s and the hippie era of free love.
From true-crime reenactments, fictionalized accounts of Juries' obsessions, and a dark family comedy, read on for six films inspired by the life and crimes of Charles Manson and the Manson family.
Helter Skelter (1976)
Based on the best-selling novel by Manson Family prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, Helter Skelter was a two-part TV movie for CBS. It focused on the investigation and trial of the killers and featured an incredible performance by Steve Railsback as Manson, who as a result, was never truly able to shake his association with the murderer.
The movie was a huge hit, gaining record numbers of viewers for the TV station and earning three Emmy nominations, and is definitely one to watch if you're looking for an overview of the case.
The Other Side of Madness / The Helter Skelter Murders (1971)
This bizarre black-and-white film features a mash-up of documentary footage and reenactments of the Manson family's Tate-LaBianca murders. Directed by and produced by Wade Williams who was present for the real-life Manson trials, the jolting movie isn't a straight biography of the murders but is worth watching for its disjointed '60s cinematic style.
First released in '71 with the name The Other Side of Madness, it was then re-released in '76 with the updated title The Helter Skelter Murders to try cash in on the success of the Helter Skelter TV film. The movie was even promoted with the tagline “Exclusive! Now You Can See the Movie That Could Not Be Shown on TV!”
Manson, My Name is Evil (2009)
Contrary to the name, Manson, My Name is Evil focuses not on Manson himself, but on the trial of Family member Leslie Van Houten who was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
We see the story through the eyes of an innocent and naive juror, Perry, who falls in love with former homecoming princess Van Houten. We don't need to tell you that it doesn't work out too well for Perry.
Aquarius (2015)
This NBC series followed David Duchovny as Sam Hodiak, an LAPD detective who investigates the Manson Family in 1967 in an attempt to rescue a missing teen from the cult.
If seeing Duchovny square off against "The Love Generation" doesn't make you want to watch this show, then seeing Game of Thrones' Gethin Anthon aka Renly Baratheon play Manson should convince you.
Summer Dreams: The Story of The Beach Boys (1990)
Before becoming a cult leader, Charles Manson was an aspiring musician and even had connections to The Beach Boy's drummer, Dennis Wilson. A year before the murders, Wilson picked up some of the women involved in The Family while hitchhiking and eventually invited the whole cult to stay at his seaside home.
While the above film based on an "unofficial biography" doesn't focus entirely on the Manson connection, he does make an appearance in the movie ( and at around the 4-minute mark in the clip above).
Manson Family Vacation (2015)
While not technically about Manson himself, Manson Family Vacation uses the backdrop of a Manson obsession to explore the relationship between two dysfunctional brothers — sounds strange right? According to the movie's press release, it follows “two brothers tour Charles Manson murder sites. One is a family man. The other is devoted to The Family.” Trust the Duplass brothers to turn anything into an angst-ridden family saga.
