A woman's life has been forever altered by a disturbing family secret: her grandfather was the infamous cult leader Charles Manson. Sophia Maddox, 26, shares her journey of grappling with this profound discovery in 'My Grandfather Charles Manson', a deeply personal documentary that recently premiered on Hulu.
Four years ago, a genealogy website match had shed light on a long-standing family mystery for Maddox's father, Daniel Arguelles. The truth, however, proved to be far more sinister than he could have imagined. His biological father, and thus Maddox's grandfather, was Charles Manson – the convicted murderer responsible for orchestrating brutal murders in August 1969. "When my dad found out, he couldn’t bring himself to tell me for two months because it was so dark," Maddox revealed in an interview.
The documentary begins as a philosophical exploration of evil, with Maddox questioning who would accept her given her family legacy. She attempts to understand her grandfather by interviewing former members of the Manson Family cult and grappling with the emotional complexities of her lineage. Co-directed by Maddox and Alexandra Orton, 'My Grandfather Charles Manson' is both a powerful exercise in unpacking generational trauma and seeking peace with a deeply flawed family history.
Maddox's journey to coming to terms with her grandfather's crimes is intertwined with therapy sessions, which she shares on camera. Having grown up largely outside the shadow of Manson's notoriety, Maddox only truly understood the impact of his actions after watching Quentin Tarantino's film 'Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood' as an adult.
Manson's followers committed horrific crimes, including the murders of actress Sharon Tate and others at her home. He died in prison in 2017, aged 83, alongside those convicted of conspiracy and murder – Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, and Charles 'Tex' Watson.
Disturbingly, happy home videos of Maddox's father exist alongside footage of a wild-eyed Manson sporting a swastika carved into his forehead. While striking physical similarities exist between Arguelles and Manson, Maddox also explores shared traits like childhood trauma, mental health issues, and volatility – characteristics her father exhibited despite being a loving parent.