Watch MANSON'S LOST GIRLS

Manson's Lost Girls is a chilling biopic that delves into the Manson Family cult and the notorious murders they committed in the late 1960s. The movie is set in the 1967 when Linda Kasabian (Mackenzie Mauzy) is pregnant and joins the infamous Manson Family under the guise of finding a community that would take care of her and her child once he is born.

Linda is one of the several young women, all of whom are manipulated and brainwashed by the charming, enigmatic cult leader, Charles Manson (Jeff Ward). The film centers around how Manson, through his magnetic charms, attracts these young women and turns them into his loyal followers. Even though their lives are anything but structured or secure, these girls are willing to do anything for Manson, including engaging in drugs, alcohol, and dubious sexual activities.

As the plot thickens, Linda and the other girls find themselves at odds with the outside world. They live in isolation in a remote desert location, listening almost exclusively to Manson's deviant teachings. Manson's teachings, terrifyingly enough, are filled with his version of religion, twisted fantasies of race wars, and a desire to start the apocalypse.

As the movie progresses, Manson starts to plan the notorious Tate-LaBianca murders, where several people, including Sharon Tate, are killed. Linda and the girls are recruited by Manson to be a part of this madness, and we see how they are ultimately led to commit these horrific acts of violence.

The film is centered around Linda's experience and how she becomes involved in the Manson Family, without ever truly buying into Manson's vision. Linda is torn between her desire to be with someone who cares for her and the life she has left behind, which was anything but perfect, but still more stable than what she now has. She slowly realizes how dangerous and delusional Manson is, and we see her journey from being isolated in the cult to eventually testifying against him in the courtroom.

The movie is dark, disturbing, and realistic. It provides an accurate depiction of the Manson Family and the troubled lives of these women who were manipulated by a charismatic and ultimately deadly cult leader. Although there are certain graphic scenes of violence and sex, the themes of manipulation, brainwashing, and the power dynamic of cult leaders are the real backbone of the movie.

The performances in Manson's Lost Girls are exceptional. Mackenzie Mauzy, in particular, delivers a nuanced and strong portrayal of Linda Kasabian. She embodies the young woman's vulnerability and confusion, without making her appear to be a character that is weak or foolish. We also get good performances from Grace Victoria Cox and Eden Brolin as some of the other Manson Family girls who are also manipulated by Manson.

The direction and cinematography are also outstanding. The film captures the mood, look, and feel of the '60s era perfectly. Director Leslie Libman makes effective use of split screens, close-ups, and other stylistic devices to give a sense of the disorientation and paranoia that these cult members might have felt.

One of the things that make Manson's Lost Girls so chilling is its accuracy in portraying the actual events that took place in the Manson Family cult. While the movie might not be for everyone, it is an engrossing, well-made and well-acted biopic that sheds light on one of the darkest and most disturbing chapters in U.S history.

MANSON'S LOST GIRLS is a 2016 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.3.