Season 1 – Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes

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Aug 2026

Documentary

Crime

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Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Examines prison calls, firsthand accounts and archival footage that shed insight into the mind of criminal Charles Manson.

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

Aug 11, 2026

3/4

There have been other Manson documentaries, but “Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes” is among the most reasoned, responsible and detailed. It’s a persuasive documentary.

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Melissa Camacho

Common Sense Media

Aug 27, 2026

3/5

If you enjoy true crime series, there's plenty offered here to keep you both informed and entertained.

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Joel Keller

Decider

Aug 14, 2026

The tidbits of new information and new interview material with Manson... are still interesting enough to put up with the annoying reenactments and other narrative misfires.

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Karina Adelgaard

Heaven of Horror

Aug 13, 2026

2/5

THE CHARLES MANSON TAPES is the final season of the true-crime anthology docuseries CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER. Which is good, because by now this documentary series has pretty much abandoned its core concept.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Aug 12, 2026

This docuseries can be a comprehensive overview for people who know little or nothing about Charles Manson. Everyone else might be a little bored by how nothing new is revealed. The previously unreleased audio of Manson is just more of his ranting.

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Connor S

@CWSutherland Aug 21, 2026

The worst of this series so far, as nobody involved seems that apologetic and this all seemed to be the exact charade that animal was looking for.

Kenneth H

@ThePickledHerring Aug 15, 2026

So well done — didn’t love the actor portrayals at first, but this was such a great, concise overview of the Manson saga. So many true crime series needlessly stretch things out — kudos to packing everything in to three high-yield episodes.

Buck T

@RT33570099 Aug 13, 2026

Fulfills all of the curiosity and emotional fascination of a murder doc, with a load of context. Expect to feel unnerved and disquiet, all of the fun and coziness - but also prepare to be invaded by reenactments. This would easily earn 5 if they chilled out on the dramatization.

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Alexander Maniatis

Actor

Chris Fisher

Actor

Luke Volker

Actor

Pierre Malherbe

Actor

James Matthew Fuller

Actor

Josh Thirion

Actor

Episode 1

Aired Aug 12, 2026

The Family

At the height of the hippie movement, Charles Manson lures the young and disillusioned to follow him with promises of love, acceptance and no rules.

Details

Episode 2

Aired Aug 12, 2026

The Devil's Business

Manson's control over his followers reaches its bloody apex, leading to a spree of brutal murders fueled by his vain delusions to trigger a race war.

Details

Episode 3

Aired Aug 12, 2026

Trial of the Century

As Manson and the Family take center stage in the courtroom, their antics spark a grotesque spectacle that leaves behind a haunting legacy.

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Director: Joe Berlinger
Executive Producer: Joe Berlinger, Jen Isaacson, Jon Kamen, Tom O'Brien, Rachael Profiloski
Network: Netflix
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date: Aug 12, 2026

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Season 1 – Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes

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Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes — Season 1

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Conversations With a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes — Season 1

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