'Charlie Says' Poster Arrives With Matt Smith as Charles Manson

In the late 1960s, Charles Manson used his powers of persuasion on individuals who were in search [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

In the late 1960s, Charles Manson used his powers of persuasion on individuals who were in search of guidance, exploiting these "followers" and convincing them to carry out violent crimes in his name. Arguably the most well-known crimes committed by this "Manson Family" was the murder of actress Sharon Tate in 1969, along with four others Manson's followers found in a Los Angeles, California home. In the decades since, Manson became a mythical figure for what he was able to convince his followers to do, with his persona being represented in various elements of pop culture. The new film Charlie Says, focusing on Manson, has debuted a new poster ahead of its May 10th release.

charlie says movie poster matt smith 2019
(Photo: IFC Films)

In the film, "Years after the shocking murders that made the name Charles Manson synonymous with pure evil, the three women who killed for him—Leslie Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia Krenwinkel (Sosie Bacon), and Susan Atkins (Marianne Rendón)—remain under the spell of the infamous cult leader (Matt Smith). Confined to an isolated cellblock in a California penitentiary, the trio seems destined to live out the rest of their lives under the delusion that their crimes were part of a cosmic plan—until empathetic graduate student Karlene Faith (Merritt Wever) is enlisted to rehabilitate them. Convinced the prisoners are not the inhuman monsters the world believes them to be, Karlene begins the arduous process of breaking down the psychological barriers erected by Manson. But are the women ready to confront the horror of what they did? Boundary-pushing auteur Mary Harron (American Psycho, I Shot Andy Warhol) presents a provocative new perspective on one of the most notorious crimes of the 20th century."

Smith built a massive fandom thanks to starring in Doctor Who, using that notoriety to pursue other genre fare when he left the series in 2013 such as Terminator: Genisys and reportedly in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX. While Charlie Says is sure to be horrifying, it is based on the books The Family: The Story of Charles Manson's Dune Buggy Attack Battalion by Ed Sanders and The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten by Karlene Faith which focus more on Manson's followers than the figure himself.

Check out Charlie Says when it debuts on May 10th.

Are you looking forward to checking out the film? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

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