Manson's Lost Girls

The simple fact that the Lifetime cable channel, best known for its benignly antiseptic TV movies, would take on a heavy subject like the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders might warrant an “A” for ambition. But this retelling of the grisly crimes committed by Charles Manson and his followers unfortunately never truly plumbs the emotional horror of that infamous crime. The story is told from the perspective of Linda Kasabian (Mackenzie Mauzy), a pregnant runaway teenager who joins Manson's cult and discovers a new family within the swirl of drugs and free love. But Manson eventually turns to violent rants as his dreams of a Hollywood music career disintegrate, and Kasabian, who functioned as a driver and witness to the gruesome murder spree, would eventually leave the Manson orbit and testify against him and his followers. The main weakness in Manson's Lost Girls lies in its inability to recreate the genuine madness that drove Manson's devoted female followers to commit unspeakable acts—not to mention the necessarily toned down sex and hideous brutality. Actor Jeff Ward fails to embody the kinetic energy and restless psychosis that fueled Manson's madness, and outside of Eden Brolin's eerie Susan Atkins, no one else in the cast truly registers. Not recommended. (P. Hall)