Charlie Says is a 2018 American biographical drama film directed by Mary Harron and starring Hannah Murray as Leslie Van Houten and Matt Smith as infamous cult leader Charles Manson.

The film tells the story of Leslie "Lulu" Van Houten's life in the Manson Family cult and Karlene Faith's work to deprogram her, Patricia "Katie" Krenwinkel, and Susan "Sadie" Atkins after they were imprisoned for their involvement in the Tate and LaBianca murders.

Karlene Faith, a University of California, Santa Cruz graduate student, is assigned to teach them college classes.

Incredulous, Karlene thinks that Lulu, Katie, and Sadie have been brainwashed and offers them copies of Our Bodies, Ourselves and Sisterhood is Powerful.

Charlie believes that some passages in the Book of Revelation refer to him and that he will lead mankind after a revolution caused by a race war.

Lulu, Katie, and Sadie tell Karlene about Charlie's belief that they will wait out the revolution in a bottomless pit and that when it is over, some will become winged elves who fly to the surface.

When record producer Terry Melcher sees Charlie and his backup singers perform "Look at Your Game, Girl", he is not impressed.

He orders Sadie and Tex to go to Terry Melcher's old house, now occupied by pregnant actress Sharon Tate, to kill the residents.

The film is based on the books The Family, by Ed Sanders, and The Long Prison Journey of Leslie Van Houten, by Karlene Faith.

In January 2016, Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner were announced to be directing and writing a film based on the life and crimes of Charles Manson and his followers.

[4] Chace Crawford and Sosie Bacon were cast in March 2018, with Gugino no longer set to star in the film.

The site's consensus states: "Charlie Says approaches its infamous subject from a welcome new angle, but suffers from a disappointing lack of depth in its treatment of the story.