My Grandfather Charles Manson (2026)
Director: Sophia Maddox
Cast: Sophia Maddox, Charles Manson
Sophia spent her childhood as the perfect daughter—steady, dependable, her father’s anchor. But when she sets out to uncover the identity of the grandfather she never knew, she stumbles into a nightmare: the man is Charles Manson, America’s most infamous criminal, whose face eerily mirrors her own father’s. That revelation drags Sophia deep into a shadowy world of Manson’s surviving followers and tangled, unreliable truths as she reconstructs her grandfather’s twisted path. Along the way, her bloodline unlocks sealed records and haunting audio that expose Manson’s psychology in shocking new light. Yet each revelation drives a wedge between Sophia and the father she once idolized. There’s no going back now. What did she inherit from this monster—and how does she face the dark stain on her family tree?
More About This Film
My Grandfather Charles Manson is a documentary following Sophia Maddox as she investigates her family history and discovers that the grandfather she never knew was Charles Manson. Her search brings her into contact with people connected to the Manson Family and with records and audio material that have not previously been widely available.
The film is structured around Sophia's personal investigation rather than a conventional historical biography. Her search also becomes a story about inheritance, family identity, memory, and the difficult process of understanding a notorious figure from the perspective of descendants and people who knew him.
- Directed by Sophia Maddox and Alexandra Orton.
- Sophia Maddox appears as both participant and co-director.
- The documentary runs approximately 106 minutes.
- It includes interviews with Manson Family members and historical witnesses.
- Disney+ carries the documentary in supported territories.