SHOCK reviews the fascinating indie exploitation drama HOUSE OF MANSON.
It would be easy to think a film about Charles Manson and his family of followers would be the perfect opportunity to cannonball into the deep end of the exploitation film swimming pool, yet Brandon Slagle‘s artfully directed, still unreleased in the US 2014 film HOUSE OF MANSON, chooses to heat up in the sauna instead.
This isn’t a party, it’s a slow burn.
Slagle (THE BLACK DAHLIA HAUNTING) cleverly wrote this film in a way that is less about the infamous historical atrocities and more about the people and events that led up to them.
Ryan Kiser delivers a powerful performance as Manson. His portrayal of the free-spirited lover of life and manipulative monster are perfectly balanced onscreen. He manages to carry the larger-than-life persona of Manson with ease. He never lets it become the cartoon it could easily be. This isn’t the insane, creepy, wacky-faced Charlie we’ve seen in interviews, behind bars for decades. The Manson Kiser brings to the screen is less creepy and more controlled than many portraits that have come before. He comes off as a suave, likable yet manipulative young man, who is able to sell the bullshit to his followers hook, line and sinker.
The film opens as we watch the Manson Family being captured. From there, the story is told as a series of interviews and flashbacks that allows us to see the group members as they begin to shape the friendships and free-spirited communal lifestyle they are known for.
So, what makes this version worth taking an insane murder ride through the Hollywood Hills? What I found refreshing, is that this is one of the few true-crime biopic indie films to roll out in a long time that doesn’t feel like simply an excuse to make a film, cashing in on the name. The acting and overall look of the film is as top shelf as any indie film you will find these days. Ultimately, what it amounts to is a long, deep look inside the mind of an evil man who sees himself as a tragic hero or demigod.
Out now on DVD across the pond in the UK (where it’s simply called MANSON) with a US release pending.
