Waco: The Rules of Engagement
“The shocking truth revealed!”
1997•2h 16m•7.6•Released
Documentary
In one of the most tragic face-offs in the history of law enforcement, the deadly debacle at Waco pitted the Branch Davidian sect against the FBI in an all-out war. This documentary makes the most of footage and recordings to examine how the events that led to the tragedy of April 19, 1993, unfolded, and how the FBI's unrelenting approach made what was already a bad situation much worse.
Director
William Gazecki
Writer
Dan Gifford, William Gazecki
Studio
Fifth Estate Productions
Cast
Dan Gifford
Narrator (voice)
Clive Doyle
Self - Branch Davidian
Jack Harwell
Self - Sheriff
Joseph Penno
Self - Former Chief, Houston Fire Department
Dick J. Reavis
Self - Author
James D. Tabor
Self - Biblical Scholar
David Thibodeau
Self - Branch Davidian
Joe Biden
Self - U.S. Senate (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sonny Bono
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Howard Coble
Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Conyers
Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)
Graeme Craddock
Self - Branch Davidian (archive footage) (uncredited)
Dianne Feinstein
Self - U.S. Congress (archive footage) (uncredited)
Orrin Hatch
Self - U.S. Senate (archive footage) (uncredited)
David Koresh
Self - Branch Davidian Leader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Production
Company
Fifth Estate Productions
Company
SomFord Entertainment
Producer
William Gazecki
Producer
Dan Gifford
Recommended
6.4
Hostage
2005
6.9
Oklahoma City
2017
7.1
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2006
6.1
Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste
2022
6.3
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story
2025
6.4
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
2017
6.4
War
2007
6.1
Blacklight
2022
7
Sherman's March
1985
7.7
Citizenfour
2014
5.9
Above Suspicion
2019
6.9
ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke
2019
6.2
Cash Out
2024
6.2
Driven
2019
5.8
Interrogation
2016
7.2
The Rock
1996
6.1
Naqoyqatsi
2002
5.8
Raw Deal
1986
6.6
Holy Hell
2016
6.5
Sniper: No Nation
2026
Similar Movies
The Cult Next Door
2017
COINTELPRO 101
2010
7
Children of the Cult
2024
6
Manlife
2017
5.7
Trudell
2005
5
Aliens from Spaceship Earth
1977
10
Witness Underground
2024
6.2
A Compassionate Spy
2022
8
Cults: Saying No Under Pressure
1991
8.5
The United States of Insanity
2021
7
Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul
2022
1.5
Electronic Awakening
2011
5.9
A
1998
4.7
TMZ Presents | The Downfall of Diddy 2: The Indictment
2024
7.1
Incident at Oglala
1992
5.7
Police State
2023
7.1
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
2006
5.2
Police State 2000
1999
3
Jeffrey's Hell
2024
Haruki Murakami: From Underground to 1Q84
2025