Review of Helter Skelter (2004) by Shai L — 14 Feb 2014

Good biopic on the life of Charles Manson and his "family", Helter Skelter is one of those made for TV movie films that touches on a few truer facts about Manson's life, and takes creative liberties with the real story.

There is no doubt that Manson was a sick, twisted psycho, and with that we get a feeling for the monster in a terrific performance by Jeremy Davies in the lead role. He delivers a performance that saves this movie from being a total waste of time.

Helter Skelter is not a film for everyone, obviously due to the subject. But to those interested in Manson, this is a no brainer to watch. However if you're looking for an accurate portrait of events, Helter Skelter leaves a bit to be desired.

The film nonetheless relies on a good cast to make up for its shortcomings. The film boasts a good story as well, but if you're going into this film expecting an accurate portrait of the events, you're going to be disappointed.

Helter Skelter is better than most made for TV films, and for that it does distinguish itself from other films of said genre. With a good cast, and a good script, this film is good for what it sets out to do, but it is not the definitive portrait of Charles Manson's life.

The film serves more of a stepping stone for people who merely interested in the subject, and it does manage to entertain. However, like I said, this is a film not for everyone, and if you're not interested in such a subject, then I would recommend you'd skip out on this one.

But it does manage to be entertaining and quite frankly disturbing at the same time, which makes Helter Skelter a memorable dramatic biopic about one of the most depraved psychos of the 20th Century.