There are certain films that send me down an internet rabbit hole. In their directorial debut, J. Davis shot me out of a cannonball into a Wikipedia frenzy which may have landed me on some sort of list somewhere. Manson Family Vacation is not a coincidental or chance occurrence. The plot does not circle around, but rather directly leads all but to the doorstep of heinous murderer Charles Manson and the “Manson Family,” who still hold ground in the present day. Long story short, if you want an inside look as to how people get caught up in a cult, this film comes highly recommended.
Two alienated brothers meet in Los Angeles with the hope of rekindling their kinship. The younger brother, Nick (Jay Duplass) is a successful lawyer, married to a beautiful wife (Lenora Pitts), and has a healthy, yet misbehaving son (Adam Chernick). Conrad (Linas Phillips) is the elder brother, but not by blood. He was adopted at birth, as their parents were led to believe they would be unable to conceive a child of their own. He had always been treated differently by the family, and even Nick believes stark disparity is biological.
Conrad hitchhikes his way to LA after selling all his possessions, leaving himself with nothing but a backpack and a set of clothes. The clothes stand out in a crowd, though, with the face of Charles Manson gleaming off of his bright yellow shirt. The shirt is not worn to be ironic, however. Conrad has developed a full-blown obsession with Charles Manson, Manson Family, and the countless abhorrent crimes they committed. With extreme hesitation and uncertainty, Nick joins Conrad in a “tour” of the Manson Family murder sites. This is an unsettling, yet eerily poetic fixation for Conrad to develop. When life lacks purpose, meaning, or a sense of belonging, it makes sense as to how he would grasp upon anything which may fulfill these needs.
The film holds a mysterious and deadpan tone as we witness Conrad and Nick toe the line of rekindling their relationship. Duplass and Phillips were beyond convincing as the quarreling brothers whose feud began with a deep-rooted grievance that could only be soothed by the unpolished sounds of Charles Manson’s folk songs (apparently an actual thing). Manson Family Vacation is far from a perfect film, but its flaws are easily forgivable because of the humanity portrayed within. A jagged blend of uneasy comedy, light thrills, and heartfelt drama blended together to hold my tension to a minimum. Streaming now on Netflix, this independent film is a must-see.
3.5/4
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Double Feature Film Reviews 