You can’t look away from Waco: American Apocalypse, an immersive three-part revisit to the tragedy that unfolded outside of Waco, Texas in 1993.
After a 51-day siege at the compound of the cult Branch Davidian religious group, 82 worshippers, including 25 children, perished in the flames, apparently at the behest of their leader, David Koresh.
(Credit: courtesy of Netflix)
A warrant had been issued against Koresh, whose group had stockpiled illegal weapons. The word came from his hold on his fellow Branch Davidians, his sexual relationships with women and girls. An attempt to seize it led to the deaths of four officers in a shootout. When asked if he put his trust in the Lord, Koresh replied, “I am the Lord.”
But this stunning series also highlights the clumsiness of the FBI agents in charge who turned a powder keg situation into something explosive. One agent was “brutally honest about the [bureau’s] flaws” in interviews, director Tiller Russell recalled. Some 30 years later, the debate about gun rights and God continues. Says Russell, “When history is most compelling…it holds up a mirror of who we are today.”
Waco: American Apocalypse, premieres Wednesday, March 22, Netflix
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