Just when you think we don’t need another documentary about Charles Manson, here comes one that nobody else could have possibly made before. Actress and filmmaker Sophia Maddox found out a few years ago (thanks to Ancestry.com) that she’s the granddaughter of Manson. She teamed up with producer Alexandra Orton (both women are making their feature directorial debut with this film) to explore her discovery, with My Grandfather Charles Manson being the documented result. She learns more about the notorious cult leader and worries about what she might have inherited from him, but she also comes to understand Manson beyond the sensational.
My Grandfather Charles Manson presents a very complex personal journey that deals with the old debate on nature versus nurture. Maddox interviews experts on Manson as well as his friends and enemies. She certainly finds a lot of unsavory information, yet also becomes particularly interested in his unfortunate childhood, which surely had some effect on how he turned out. At times, she seems like she might start being a Manson apologist, but she really just wants to confirm he wasn’t a monster through genetics so she can feel better about herself. She also uses this film to examine her relationship with her father, who was born from a brief affair Manson had in the ‘50s.
There’s plenty here for the Manson curious or broader true-crime enthusiast, but it’s primarily about Maddox investigating herself and concepts like passed-down trauma, healing from wounded spaces, and parentification. She meets with her psychiatrist. She argues with Orton on screen about what the film is doing to her. It’s a heavy psychological quest, the sort that’s hard to enjoy as you wonder if it’s actually a healthy project to be encouraging as an engaged witness. But I still found it engrossing as a real, raw trauma drama. I also hope Maddox is going to be okay.