What was Operation CHAOS? True story behind Netflix's Manson Murders series
The new documentary is available to watch right now.
Errol Morris has returned once more to the documentary realm with a new film, CHAOS: The Manson Murders, now streaming on Netflix.
The 90-minute long watch "delves into the shadowy and complex narrative of the Manson family murders" as the documentary plans to explore "the darkest corners of recent history to unpack the potential conspiracy surrounding the killings".
Charles Manson died in prison in 2017 while serving nine life sentences for orchestrating the murders of nine people in Los Angeles in the late 1960s.
With plenty of documentaries to watch about his crimes and the Manson family – what new information can this new documentary bring?
Read on to learn more about the documentary and its inspiration.
What is CHAOS: The Manson Murders about?
The new documentary is an adaptation of CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties, written by Tom O'Neill with Dan Piepenbring, featuring research on the background and motives behind the Tate-LaBianca murders.
The documentary's synopsis reads: "Charles Manson: Svengali or CIA puppet? New insights emerge in this documentary from a journalist's 20-year investigation of the Tate-LaBianca murders."
"It is based in part on Tom's book," director Errol Morris told Netflix on the connections between the documentary and book.
"Without Tom's book, this would not exist. Tom very generously shared with me a lot of the interviews that he did. In fact, you hear some of them in this adaptation".
What was Operation CHAOS?
Operation CHAOS was a CIA project that targeted American citizens from 1967 to 1974.
Its creation came about during Lyndon B Johnson's presidency and continued under Richard Nixon, with aims to uncover "possible foreign influence on domestic race, anti-war, and other protest movements".
Who was Charles Manson?
Charles Manson was a cult leader and criminal whose followers carried out heinous crimes and murders, most notably the killing of actress Sharon Tate and her unborn baby.
In 1972, Manson was sentenced to spend life in prison following the abolition of capital punishment in California.
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CHAOS: The Manson Murders is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
