"CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS" (2025) Reveals More Questions Than Answers (REVIEW)
Netflix's latest documentary, “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS”, challenges everything we thought we knew about Charles Manson and his deadly influence. Buckle up as we dive headfirst into the secrets, speculation, and shocking truths behind the Manson Family murders.
“WHY WON’T THIS CASE DIE?”
From the very beginning of Netflix’s “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS”, one haunting question is posed: “Why won’t this case die?” The documentary, which premiered on Friday, March 7th, dives deep into the lingering mysteries surrounding Charles Manson and his cult’s brutal crimes. Lead prosecutor Stephen Kay offers a simple yet telling response: "People in the United States like to be scared." Believe us when we say this documentary doesn’t just inform—it unsettles, leaving us more unnerved than we ever expected.
Image Courtesy Of Netflix
We won’t begin to detail the events that took place in 1969 that led to Manson being accused of being a “Cult Leader” and leaving behind a wake of violence and death for those not too inundated with the case of subsequent trials that followed, we will let Wikipedia sum things up for us.
“The Tate–LaBianca murders were a series of murders perpetrated by members of the Manson Family during August 9–10, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, under the direction of Tex Watson and Charles Manson. The perpetrators killed five people on the night of August 8–9: pregnant actress Sharon Tate and her companions Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Wojciech Frykowski, along with Steven Parent. The following evening, the Family murdered supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles.”
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS” BELOW
“In August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments and murder.”
Our Review
There’s no doubt that the name Charles Manson still has the power to make people stop in their tracks. Something about this enigmatic cult leader continues to captivate and unnerve, turning even casual true crime fans into obsessive sleuths. The Tate-LaBianca murders—better known as “The Manson Murders”—are shrouded in layers of mystery, but one of the most startling revelations comes from Tom O’Neill’s book “CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties.” O’Neill uncovers disturbing links between Manson’s rise and the CIA’s covert mind-control program, MKUltra, which was active in San Francisco while Manson was there in 1967. The possibility that Manson was, intentionally or not, a product of these psychological experiments raises an unsettling question: Was he a manufactured monster? Now there is no direct link to Manson and the CIA that has ever been one hundred percent confirmed, but has that ever stopped true crime fans from speculating?
The idea that Manson could produce the CIA’s ideal “Manchurian Candidate” with his followers is a chilling revelation and not easily swallowed. Could the government have helped mold a petty car thief and con artist into a manipulative guru capable of convincing teenagers to commit brutal murders at his command? On the surface, it seems improbable. But “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS” skillfully ties together these loose threads, exposing contradictions in the official narrative and forcing us to confront the most unsettling question of all: How did Manson do it? Was it just his ability to use drugs, sex, and violence to bend people to his will, so much so that they would kill at the drop of a hat and a simple word from Manson, or was our government to blame, as Manson claimed until he died in 2017.
The notion that the CIA deliberately targeted the 1960s hippie movement to dismantle it—and that Charles Manson and his followers became the perfect scapegoats to end the so-called "Love Generation"—is a chilling thought. Despite decades of books, films, and investigations covering the case, the documentary leaves us with more questions than answers, forcing us to reconsider the true forces at play behind one of history’s most infamous crime sprees.
Manson has captivated the American public for decades, and this new documentary sent us diving into our personal library, revisiting every book and film we own on the subject. “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS” leaves no stone unturned, taking a 20-year investigation into these unsettling questions and flipping the narrative on its head. Director Errol Morris (The Fog of War) blends in a mix of new interviews from key firsthand witnesses and archival footage from the trials and local news, the documentary really had us enthralled from the first few moments and kept us glued to the screen eager for more. We thought we had seen and heard everything there was to know about Charles Manson and his so-called “Family,” but this fresh perspective left us eager to dive deeper into Tom O’Neill’s book. However, if you’re expecting definitive answers to the unsettling questions raised, you may be missing the point. Some mysteries may never be fully unraveled—and that lingering uncertainty doesn’t just haunt us as viewers, but also those who were directly involved in the case.
This isn’t your typical blood-and-guts true crime documentary. If that’s what you’re after, you’re better off watching the 2004 film “Helter Skelter”, which dramatizes the horrific events carried out by Manson and his followers. Instead, “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS” offers a fresh, thought-provoking perspective, challenging everything we thought we knew about the case. Now, 56 years after those infamous nights in 1969, this documentary reexamines history through a new lens—one that will undoubtedly catch the attention of both die-hard Manson aficionados and skeptical viewers alike. Whether you believe its revelations or not, it’s impossible to ignore the unsettling questions it raises.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The soundtrack for “CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS”, composed by Paul Leonard-Morgan, serves as the relentless pulse behind this gripping and speculative deep dive into the Manson case. Each track ebbs and flows with an intensity that feels like a ticking time bomb, building tension as the film unravels its shocking revelations. The orchestration, seamlessly woven with original music written and performed by Charles Manson himself, adds a haunting, almost manic energy that amplifies the documentary’s already edge-of-your-seat atmosphere.
At times, the score evokes the eerie suspense of “Jaws”, with deep bass and low frequencies creeping in at just the right moments to heighten unease. Leonard-Morgan’s compositions don’t just accompany the film—they propel it forward, making the viewer feel as if they, too, are caught in the chaotic web of truth and conspiracy.
Final Thoughts
“CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS” is a documentary that demands to be seen. It stands as one of the most in-depth examinations not only of the Manson Family and the horrific murders they carried out in the summer of 1969 but also of the darker depths of human nature itself. It forces viewers to reflect on the fragility of free will and the unsettling power of persuasion—how a self-proclaimed guru and madman used mere words to manipulate others into unspeakable acts. This film isn’t just about revisiting history; it’s a chilling reminder of how easily reality can be twisted by those who know how to wield influence.
“CHAOS: THE MANSON MURDERS” is now streaming on Netflix.
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