Charlie Says

The title of this true-crime drama might conjure memories of those old child-safety adverts from the 1970s, but Charlie Says is anything but cosy, nostalgic viewing. American Psycho director Mary Harron's film about the Manson Family focuses on the three women who were put on death row for their involvement in the 1969 Tate/LaBianca murders. Graduate student Karlene Faith (Merritt Wever) is given access to the incarcerated trio, but struggles to break through the brainwashing they received during their time in Charles Manson's California commune. In a surprise piece of casting, Doctor Who's Matt Smith plays Manson in the flashback sequences, with the former Time Lord not only nailing the accent but also channelling the beady-eyed intensity of the cult leader. Fellow Brit Hannah Murray also impresses as Leslie Van Houten, nicknamed "Lulu", and it's through her innocent eyes that we witness the 1960s hippy dream turn sour, as free love gives way to paranoia and grim violence. Although uncomfortably lurid in places, the film stops short of the full-on exploitative treatment it could have warranted. And while it never excuses the actions of the women, it does dare to suggest that cold-blooded killers can be victims themselves.