Waco (2018) Review

 

Waco (2018)

Shew! It’s been over a month since my last review but I finally bring you new content, and our first series review!

Waco was a limited series that told the events of the 52-day standoff between David Koresh’s Branch Davidians and the FBI/ATF outside of Waco, Texas in 1993.

To start, I have to say wow, what a show this was to watch. Anyone that knows me knows I love projects based on true stories and I’ve had my eye on this since it’s release and it did not disappoint at all. I’m amazed at the accuracy and their ability to change the narrative, telling it from the point of David and his followers or from the point of negotiator Gary Noesner. We see a sympathetic, unswayed look at the man behind this “cult” and the actions that lead to the death of 76 people, 25 of whom were children. The story is immensely gripping and seeing it from the POV of those most affected by it tells a vastly different tale than the seeming cover-up by the FBI.

The performances in this were what really drives the series with Michael Shannon, Taylor Kitsch, Rory Culkin, and Paul Sparks putting in performances of a lifetime. Kitsch as Koresh is almost too good, as you sympathize and genuinely root for him at times throughout the series. Shannon, being on the wrong side of history, is the lone bright spot for the antagonists, with his ability to convey anger, passion, friendship, and patience with the flip of a switch. They were believable and you genuinely get a disdain for the government in this adaptation for their lying, manipulation, and actions throughout.

It’s all brought together stunningly by stellar visuals that tell their own story within this monumental story. The pacing is done very well, with nothing seeming too rushed or anything being left out as a result of the format. There was ample time to set up, have the initial conflict, include the standoff, climax with the siege, and resolve in a way; even though anyone who watches will not feel happy with the way things end, as it is a sad and heartbreaking ending. Genuinely one of the best historical depictions/series I have ever seen, next to Zodiac.

The window concert cover of I Still Believe by Tim Cappello is also one of the coolest scenes in the whole show.

9.9/10