▁life ▁inside ▁several ▁women ' s ▁pr isons ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁circumstances ▁that ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁in car cer ation ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁in m ates . ▁Origin ally ▁a ired ▁on ▁H BO , ▁the ▁film ▁is ▁notable ▁for ▁its ▁sympath etic , ▁if ▁level ▁head ed ▁treatment ▁of ▁its ▁characters . ▁The ▁film ▁features ▁women ▁in car cer ated ▁for ▁cr imes ▁r anging ▁from ▁drug ▁use ▁to ▁first ▁degree ▁murder . ▁A ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁follows ▁M anson ▁Family ▁member ▁Les lie ▁Van ▁H out en . ▁Grant ▁has ▁spoken ▁at ▁length ▁about ▁the ▁M anson ▁family ▁and ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁her ▁Valley ▁of ▁the ▁D oll s ▁co - star ▁Sh aron ▁T ate . ▁ ▁Development ▁When ▁Women ▁Kill ▁was ▁produced ▁under ▁Grant ▁and ▁husband / produ cer ▁Joseph ▁Fe ury ' s ▁production ▁deal ▁with ▁H BO . ▁Initial ly ▁Grant ▁ ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁what ▁led ▁women ▁to ▁commit ▁violent ▁cr imes . ▁Grant ' s ▁crew ▁gained ▁entrance ▁to ▁several ▁women ' s ▁pr isons ▁across ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁film ing ▁took ▁place ▁over ▁many ▁months . ▁Har lan ▁County ▁USA ▁director ▁Barbara ▁Ko pp le ▁was ▁the ▁sound ▁record ist . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁film ▁received ▁mixed - to - pos itive ▁reviews . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁felt ▁that ▁though ▁at ▁moments ▁the ▁film ▁had ▁trouble ▁bal ancing ▁the ▁mor ality ▁of ▁its ▁subjects , ▁" The ▁truth ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁criminal - just ice ▁system ▁is