Tag: Docuseries

6 Waco Shows And Movies You Can Stream Right Now

It may have been 30 years since the Branch Davidians’ religious compound burned to the ground in Waco, but that doesn’t mean Americans have lost their fascination with the iconic apocalyptic movement. Though 82 Mount Carmel residents died in 1993’s chilling government siege, their legacy has yet to meet its expiration date.

Piousness and devotion are powerful psychological motivators, but the behaviors of the Branch Davidians were unique — even for the most die-hard members of a holy allegiance. Combine that novelty with the haunting charisma of their leader David Koresh, and the tragedy reads like an Armageddon novel. Unlike a fiction book, however, the Waco story lacks clear heroes and villains. The inability to distinguish the “good guys” from the bad, though, only makes the tale that much more gripping.

In the ’90s, Waco was the documentary name of the game. Three decades after Mount Caramel crumbled, however, the Branch Davidians continue to populate our screens through media content both realistic and fictional. Netflix recently took a stab at the story with a mini-series full of never-before-seen footage of the event. Showtime dramatized the aftermath.

So, if you find yourself — on the anniversary of the tragedy — still pondering your unanswered Waco questions, take its 30th trip around the sun as a new chance to engage your intrigue. Complete with unearthed video tapes and FBI wiretaps, here are 6 essential Waco shows and movies you can watch right now.


1

‘Waco’ (2018)

Photo: Miller Mobley/SHOWTIME

In 2018, Paramount put out a 6 episode miniseries that dramatized the infamous 51-day standoff between the US government and the Branch Davidians. With an all-star cast featuring Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch, Waco was one of the first television shows to explore the tragedy through an acted, historical fiction lens. Since it was scripted, the series was able to shed light on the human side of Branch Davidian leader David Koresh — an angle that we found to be particularly thought-provoking and engaging.


2

‘Waco: American Apocalypse’ (2023)

Photo: Netflix

In early 2023, Netflix released its own documentary miniseries covering the 1993 Waco siege. Packed with compelling visual content, the three-episode show features recently uncovered FBI tapes, wiretaps, exclusive interviews, and more. If you’re looking for the latest footage of the biggest American gunfight since the Civil War, this is the documentary for you.


3

‘Waco: The Aftermath’ (2023)

Photo: Ursula Coyote/SHOWTIME

The newest Waco television project to be released, Waco: The Aftermath is a continuation of Paramount/Showtime’s 2018 Waco series. Featuring many of the same actors from the original show, Aftermath portrays the effects and reverberations of the deadly siege, including the trials of the surviving Branch Davidians. Though the project is dramatized, it is based on the memoir of siege survivor David Thibodeau which makes it notably realistic and captivating. 


4

‘Waco: The Rules of Engagement’ (1997)

Photo: Somford Entertainment

Waco: The Rules of Engagement is a 1997 documentary film that was conceptualized by gun rights activist Michael McNulty to reveal “the shocking truth” about the 1993 siege. Featuring FBI negotiation tapes, Davidian home videos, interviews with Davidian survivors, and more, the Academy Award-nominated project is both thrilling and chilling — and surprisingly well done.


5

‘Waco: Madman or Messiah’ (2018)

Photo: Bob Pearson/AFP/Getty Images

25 years after the events at Waco, A&E released a documentary miniseries that focused particularly on the story of David Koresh. From his quick rise to power to his fiery fall from the top, the show explores the whys, hows, and motives of the leader of America’s most iconic apocalyptic movement. 


6

‘Waco: The Inside Story’ (1995)

Photo: Corbis via Getty Images

PBS’ Frontline documentary series is known for its exceptional, objective coverage of some of the world’s most controversial topics. Its 1995 special on Waco, therefore, is a must-watch for those seeking raw, unfiltered information on the subject. Through secret government documents, audio, and videotapes, the episode takes a deep dive into the FBI’s Waco command center to reveal the untold story of the political infightings and turmoil within the American government at the time.



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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle reveal when royals turned on them

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal in their Netflix docuseries the exact moment the royal family felt threatened by the duchess’ popularity.

Harry says the “first time the penny dropped” for his wife was when they attended a Remembrance Day event along with the other senior members of the family in November 2018 and all the press coverage focused on Markle.

“I went, ‘Oh, my God,’” Markle recalls in “Harry & Meghan,” which began streaming its final episodes Thursday, of seeing a copy of the Telegraph newspaper with her photo splashed on the cover the following morning.

“She was like, ‘But it’s not my fault,’” Harry chimes in, “and I said, ‘I know. And my mum felt the same way.’”

Prince Harry says Meghan Markle’s popularity upset the palace.
Netflix

The Duke of Sussex, 38, was referring to Princess Diana revealing in her infamous 1995 “Panorama” interview that his father, King Charles III, was upset she took the lion’s share of attention and adulation during the former couple’s 1983 Australian royal tour.

Harry highlights a 2018 event to illustrate Markle’s fame.
Netflix

Ironically, Markle’s pal Lucy Fraser claims the palace was unnerved by the reception the Duchess of Sussex, 41, received while visiting Australia in 2018.

“The internals at the palace were incredibly threatened by that,” Fraser says.

Markle was shocked when her image was splashed on newspapers over other senior members of the royal family.
Netflix

Harry also takes a veiled dig at Charles, 74, and seemingly his brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law Kate Middleton by implying that Markle’s popularity superseded the heirs to the crown.

“The issue is when someone who’s marrying in, who should be a supporting act, is then stealing the limelight or is doing the job better than the person who was born to do this, that upsets people,” he shares.

Harry compared his wife’s popularity to Princess Diana’s.
Netflix

“It shifts the balance because you’ve been led to believe that the only way that your charities can succeed and the only way that your reputation can be grown or improved is if you’re the front page of those newspapers.



Markle has covered countless newspapers and magazines.

Netflix



Markle has covered countless newspapers and magazines.

Netflix

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“That really broke my heart because I knew that it…

“But the media are the ones who choose who to put on the front page,” he adds.

Harry and Markle eventually stepped away from The Firm, giving up their royal duties in 2020 and moving to the US, where they now live with their two children: Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1.

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Stream It or Skip It?

Telling the story of an influencer before that was even a thing, Fortune Seller: A TV Scam recounts the story of an Italian telemarketing mogul who made billions selling diet pills before controversy ensued. Is it enough to get a true crime treatment?

Opening Shot: The series opens with the image of an older woman’s hands folded in her lap before pulling back to reveal her in a typical documentary confessional. She boasts about being able to sell anything – and a producer puts her to the test by handing her a pen, and she comes up with a pitch on the spot.

The Gist: Wanna Marchi came from humble beginnings as a beautician in an unhappy marriage, and she quickly discovers her knack for selling when she starts to sell beauty products from her store. Suddenly finding fame and fortune from appearances on a QVC-type of shopping channel on Italian TV in the 1970s and 80s, Marchi leans into the public’s infatuation with body image and good looks and begins selling slimming products. Soon, she faced allegations about her business even though she was still successfully selling millions of products just by appearing on TV.

Photo: Netflix

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The series is most reminiscent of the recent Prime Video docuseries LuLaRich, which dove into the online LuLaRoe leggings empire, which was also built from scratch.

Our Take: For true crime to really bite, there has to be a hook. For Wanna Marchi, it’s her ability to sell anything and everything — from the first shot, we know exactly what kind of character we’re dealing with and how she has gotten to this point where she is the subject of a documentary.

Unfortunately, that’s where the intrigue ends for Fortune Seller: A TV Scam. The first episode of the series does little to set up the ensuing conflict and chaos incited by her empire — to put it bluntly, by the end of the first episode, it’s not clear what makes her the subject of a true crime documentary. Marchi is presented as a charismatic figure who told a few white lies about her product’s benefits, but it’s not engrossing enough to warrant a four-hour investigation into her business practices.

While Marchi’s life story is inherently interesting — from simple roots to a billion dollar industry — the way that the story is presented is perhaps the most perplexing. Without immediate indication of what crimes she’s committed (or being accused of committing), it leaves audiences wondering what exactly the story trying to be told is.

Sex and Skin: None, unless you count the many topless but not explicit photos of Marchi’s daughter Stefania who often posed for photos this way “because she could.”

Parting Shot: Wanna Marchi’s shop is set on fire, and each of the documentary’s figureheads react to the occurrence.

Sleeper Star: Marchi’s daughter Stefania becomes her accomplice and reaps the benefits of her mother’s fortune, much of which she spent on her obsession with watches.

Most Pilot-y Line:: “The only thing I can do? Sell. Give me something to sell and I’ll sell it, no problem.” The opening to the documentary lays out exactly who and what the series is about: a professional seller.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Marchi is a fascinating figure but her presence as a true crime subject falls flat.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on Vulture, Teen Vogue, Paste Magazine, and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.



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