Netflix’s roster of documentaries expands, and the Waco American Apocalypse review explores whether the streaming platform is ready to take on harrowing historical events to tell a story. There are many people involved in the process of revealing the inner workings of the siege that occurred in 1993. Some of them include Lee Hancock, John McLemore, Kathy Schroeder, Heather Jones, David Thibodeau, Gary Noesner, Chris Whitcomb, Bob Ricks and Jeff Jamar, alongside other members from Branch Davidian, ATF and the FBI.
The documentary series is directed and executive produced by Tiller Russell. It contains three episodes, each ranging from 45-50 minutes, and they are titled, ‘In the Beginning…,’ ‘Children of God,’ and ‘Fire,’ respectively.
-Waco American Apocalypse Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
Documentaries have a responsibility to tell important and pertinent stories about people. Moreover, they are supposed to be realistic and factually verified takes on an event that people would want to learn more about. For the 1993 siege at Waco, there has been a plethora of media content. Films that explore its beginnings, the people involved, and the historical context that gave birth to a traumatic event like this.
This documentary boasts that there is some archival footage and information that hasn’t ever been seen before, and that presents a unique opportunity for viewers because while it does seem like a method of calling people to watch it, it is also important for them to know the full perspective on this story. If the archival footages help, then everyone should be consuming it.
Perhaps what makes this documentary interesting to watch is that it includes the original victims of the event and the members of the cult. They were invited to share their testimonies and given the space to say what they wanted to about the people and incidents involved. Moreover, we also see a distinct conversation happening between the two sides of this tragedy. We have the people who were in it, who had very recently left and those who were on the outside looking in on this house of a 100 people.
They were all recounting first-hand experiences, which were corroborated by archival footage and audio the show’s producers could retrieve. Interviewees were also allowed to hear and take a look at the footage they were present in, to make sure their memories are fresh in mind while explaining the events of the massacre.
What makes this documentary different from others is that we are allowed the opportunity to see humanity from the perpetrator’s perspective. Audiences are given an opportunity to separate their moral inclinations to take a look at the cult leader in a way that we can understand their position and their past experiences. Additionally, it is fascinating to see that we can look at the people inside the house with a certain kind of empathy because they just seemed to be following orders based on a person they were convinced would give them access to God.
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It was refreshing to see that people who were in this cult as adults, especially, still feel a connection to that lifestyle and the people there. Realism comes in when we realise that people are less likely to forget about the important aspects of their lives just because some people say something otherwise. However, there are definitely some criticisms of this documentary that are important to highlight to understand their motives for making media like this.
A lot of the time, the emotion during the time of filming felt manufactured for the camera. It is not the fault of the people who gave the interviews but rather the people who have the control to edit, add music, and compile shots in a way that makes sense. For someone who enjoyed notoriety and attention, this documentary and every other exploration of his lifestyle is a direct addition to that attention-seeking behaviour. Even if that person may not exist anymore, it adds to their lore and makes them elusive figures rather than being grounded in reality.
Waco American Apocalypse Review: Final Thoughts
This writer would recommend that people watch this documentary because it strikes a good balance between featuring interviews from law enforcement, victims, media and press while also sharing archival footage and audio important to establish context. Additionally, the story attempts to get at the very bones of the event by understanding why certain things work while others don’t.
Moreover, we get to see all sides of the story and focus specifically on the events taking place in those 50 days instead of establishing too much backstory for the people involved and the law enforcement who were tasked with this case. Ideally, a documentary should remain as unbiased as possible. However, it never works that way, but this one tries its best to bring perspectives and voices from all across the spectrum to just paint a picture of the events instead of colouring our opinions.
Waco American Apocalypse is currently streaming on Netflix. What did you think of the quality of the documentary? Let us know in the comments below.