Helter Skelter (1976) on Netflix
Police keep the Tate killings apart from the Hinman and LaBianca murders and chase a drug angle. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi builds a case against cult leader Charles Manson and his followers.
- Netflix3.3/5
- IMDb7.4/104,114 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes100%
Trailer
Plot summary
William Garretson is arrested after Sharon Tate and her guests are found dead at her home, and the police free him three days later when the evidence does not hold. Detectives do not link the Tate deaths to the Hinman and LaBianca murders and work a drug angle instead. A raid on Spahn Ranch over an auto theft ring brings Charles Manson and his followers in, and they are freed. Two young women who left the group tell the police where the family moved and what they know about the Hinman murder. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi builds a case.
Cast
- Cathey Paineas Leslie Van Houten
- George Garroas Rosner
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Helter Skelter (1976)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The first part of the film premiered on CBS on Thursday, April 1, 1976 with a Nielsen rating of 35.2 and an audience share of 57%, making it the most watched made-for-TV movie ever, surpassing 1972's The Night Stalker.
- The 37.5 rating for the concluding part was not eclipsed by a made-for-TV movie until 1983's The Day After, which as of 2023 still holds the record for the most-watched made for television film.
- Writer JP Miller received a 1977 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best TV Feature or Mini-series Teleplay for his work on the film.
- The film drew three Emmy nominations: Billy Goldenberg for music composition for a special, Tom Gries for outstanding directing in a special program, and Byron Brandt and Bud S. Isaacs for outstanding film editing for a special.
