Netflix’s ‘The Charles Manson Tapes’ Documentary Draws Mixed Reactions from Viewers

Joe Berlinger has dedicated years to crafting one of Netflix’s most dependable true crime franchises, with ‘Conversations with a Killer’ exploring infamous figures like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer throughout its previous installments. This anthology series has gained a reputation for blending archival footage and unreleased recordings with firsthand accounts, providing audiences with an unusually close look at some of history’s most notorious criminals since its debut in 2019.

This month, Berlinger wrapped up the franchise with its fifth and final chapter, ‘The Charles Manson Tapes,’ centered around 137 phone calls Manson made from prison to a retired detective during the last nine years of his life. According to Netflix Tudum, these calls had never been publicly heard before this release, giving the docuseries a compelling angle ahead of its August premiere.

While the premise has led to strong viewership for Netflix, audience reactions to the three-part series have been notably mixed. Many viewers have taken to social media and review platforms to express their dissatisfaction, claiming that the documentary largely reiterates information and footage they have encountered in numerous other Manson-related programs over the years. Some have even questioned whether any new material was included or if it was merely rearranged.

One viewer succinctly captured the frustration, stating online that Netflix “just keeps reusing the same material on these types of documentaries,” highlighting a broader trend they’ve observed across the streamer’s true crime catalog. Another viewer directly asked if producers were simply sourcing existing YouTube interviews and labeling the outcome as something new.

This skepticism has not only been voiced by casual viewers. Rotten Tomatoes user reviews have pointed out that the series “has pretty much abandoned its core concept” at this stage in the franchise, arguing that the newly released Manson audio consists of little more than his familiar rants rather than offering genuine new insights. Conversely, other reviewers defended the series, commending it for condensing the extensive Manson saga into three tightly paced episodes instead of unnecessarily prolonging the narrative, as many true crime docuseries tend to do.

Berlinger himself has positioned the Manson chapter as a thoughtful and significant choice for concluding the franchise rather than a mere afterthought. He told Netflix that he aimed for the final season to spotlight the figure who, more than anyone else, sparked the modern era of America’s fascination with true crime.

‘The Charles Manson Tapes’ chronicles Manson’s ascent as a cult leader during the peak of the hippie movement, his involvement in the 1969 murders orchestrated by members of the so-called Manson Family, and the media frenzy surrounding his eventual trial. The series merges the newly uncovered prison recordings with interviews from former Family members and law enforcement officials who investigated the case.

With ‘Conversations with a Killer’ now officially concluded after five installments covering Bundy, Gacy, Dahmer, the Son of Sam, and Manson, Berlinger’s anthology leaves behind a mixed but undeniably impactful legacy in the true crime streaming arena. Whether that legacy endures largely depends on individual perspectives, but the viewership numbers indicate that audiences continued to tune in despite their critiques, a trend that has become prevalent across much of Netflix’s true crime offerings in recent years.

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