How does one of the best documentary filmmakers working today create one of the worst documentaries about the Manson murders you have ever seen? That is precisely what cinephiles will be asking after watching Chaos: The Manson Murders, The Thin Blue Line director Errol Morris’s newest film. Although the talent behind the camera had the potential to make this more than just another streaming true crime documentary, Chaos is frustratingly dull and adds little to the conversation about one of the most infamous tragedies in American history.
Chaos: The Manson Murders Review
Based on the nonfiction book Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, this documentary seeks to explore the motives of the Manson Family murders of the 1960s. An investigative journalism approach to this story seems like a perfect fit for an Errol Morris production, but the pieces simply do not come together as well as they should.
Chaos: The Manson Murders has the cards stacked against it because it profiles such a well-known case that has already had dozens of other films about it from virtually every perspective imaginable. To be memorable, the film needed to offer new insight or at least a new approach that is entertaining and novel.
Morris attempts to offer a unique angle by narrowing in on the conspiracy theories that have popped up surrounding the murders, from mind control experiments to government intervention. Frankly, these are all theories that viewers have probably heard before. While it seems at first that Morris may be exploring society’s obsession with these conspiracies, it seems that he too is swept away by these (often exuberant) ideas.
Ultimately, the question that O’Neill — and, by extension, Morris — asks is whether we really know what we know about the Manson murders. There’s an interesting angle to be taken here, in which Morris could have leaned into meta-commentary about the true crime genre (and the filmmaker is no stranger to self-referentialism), but all we get is vague philosophizing that asks us to reconsider our suppositions, only without giving us a reason to do so. What we do know is that at least nine people are dead. Why must we keep re-opening this can of worms when it doesn’t add more to the legacy of or justice for the victims?
The most interesting parts of the film are those that address other theories, attempting to refute (or at least counter-argue) them. The portion of the film devoted to the “Helter Skelter” theory is particularly fascinating, and the reason why is because it allows Morris to explore elements of Manson’s music. This is where the film gets closest to sharing insights that audiences might not have already been familiar with.
Of course, Morris does bring his signature kinetic style to Chaos, but that is an approach that has been mimicked so many times in other true crime documentaries that it doesn’t feel as innovative as it should be. Morris seamlessly blends archive materials and re-enactments to propel the narrative forward in a way that has undeniable momentum.
Nevertheless, that momentum is disrupted by the overwhelming nature of the story. As gripping as Morris’s storytelling style can be, it is only as effective as the story being told. With Chaos: The Manson Murders, a lot of information is thrown at the audience in quick succession, making it easy for viewers to grow disoriented. Although the goal is to make audiences feel like they don’t know what to think, the way in which the film goes about it is frustrating.
Is Chaos: The Manson Murders worth watching?
Indeed, it’s shocking how accurate the title Chaos: The Manson Murders is, as this true-crime documentary is incredibly unwieldy. It’s a shame because if any filmmaker could have done a number with this story, it probably would have been Errol Morris. Instead, this documentary ends up being a dark spot in his otherwise shining filmography.
Chaos: The Manson Murders streams on Netflix beginning March 7.
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