Leslie, My Name Is Evil is a 2009 Canadian film written and directed by Reginald Harkema. It was renamed Manson, My Name Is Evil after its initial release.
| Leslie, My Name Is Evil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Reginald Harkema |
| Written by | Reginald Harkema |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jonathon Cliff |
| Edited by | Scott Vickrey |
| Music by | Paul Kehayas |
Production company | New Real Films |
| Distributed by | Lionsgate |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Plot
Leslie is a troubled 1960s teenager who eventually becomes a follower of Charles Manson and is charged, convicted, and sentenced to death in August 1969 for the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. The story revolves around how a young juror, Perry, becomes infatuated with Leslie during her trial.
Cast
- Kristen Hager as Leslie Van Houten
- Gregory Smith as Perry
- Ryan Robbins as Charlie Manson
- Kristin Adams as Dorothy
- Peter Keleghan as Walter
- Kaniehtiio Horn as Patricia Krenwinkel
- Anjelica Scannura as Susan Atkins
- Travis Milne as Bobby Beausoleil
- Sarah Gadon as Laura
- Tom Barnett as Bob Ronka
Release
After the film was renamed, Twitch Film criticized the film's marketing as deceptive, as it emphasized Manson instead of Van Houten.[1]
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator website, reports that 67% of nine surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.96/10.[2] Rick Groen of The Globe and Mail rated it 2/4 stars and called it "a cinematic essay that occasionally seems smart and sometimes just smart-alecky."[3] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star rated it 1.5/4 stars and wrote that Harkema's comparison of the Manson murders to the Vietnam War "a dubious, illogical and frankly offensive connection to make".[4] Todd Brown of Twitch Film wrote that "despite some very promising elements, Harkema is just not quite up to the task."[5]
