Netflix just added one of the most shocking documentaries I've ever seen — and it will stay with you

Tom's Guide

a day ago

Exploring the deep ocean has always fascinated me. I've watched countless documentaries about shipwrecks and underwater expeditions, feeling a mix of awe and respect for the people who risk so much to uncover what lies beneath.
That's why when I heard about Netflix getting the 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' documentary, I knew I had to watch it. But it's important to note that this isn't an exploration story. It's a heartbreaking account of a real tragedy that shook the world — the loss of five lives during a doomed journey to the Titanic wreck.
Watching the documentary, I felt a deep sadness for the families and friends left behind, and also a creeping unease about the risks we sometimes take in the name of adventure and ambition. It's a difficult watch but it's also an important one.
'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' is a reminder that behind every headline like this are real people, dreams, mistakes, and consequences. Here's why his doc deserves your attention now that it's streaming on Netflix.
'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' investigates the tragic implosion of the Titan submersible during its expedition to the Titanic wreck on June 18, 2023.
Five people tragically lost their lives in the implosion. Among them was Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate and pilot of the dive. He was joined by Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, and Shahzada Dawood along with his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
The documentary explores how Rush's unchecked ambition and risky decisions, including the use of an untested carbon-fiber hull and bypassing third-party safety certifications, contributed to the fatal accident that claimed five lives.
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Through archival footage, whistleblower testimonies, and audio recordings from inside the company, the doc reveals a pattern of ignored warnings and a culture resistant to criticism. The movie also critiques the broader tech industry's 'move fast and break things' mentality, emphasizing the devastating consequences when engineering standards are neglected in high-risk ventures.
Featuring insights from investigators, family members, and filmmaker James Cameron, 'Titan' offers a sobering, detailed look at ambition gone wrong and serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of pushing technology beyond safe limits.
It seemed inevitable that Titan submersible's tragedy would be made into a documentary for one of the biggest streaming services. The 2023 incident shocked the world, as the vessel, run by OceanGate Expeditions, disappeared somewhere in the North Atlantic. This sparked an intense search that lasted for days.
Netflix's 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' delivers a clear and thoughtful account of the events surrounding the tragic loss of the Titan submersible. Directed by Mark Monroe, the documentary avoids sensationalizing the final moments of the disaster.
Instead, it takes a measured, investigative approach that traces the company's beginnings, its controversial reliance on carbon fiber technology, and a troubling pattern of risky dives before the fatal incident.
Throughout the doc, the focus sharpens on the critical decisions made by Rush, whose ambitious leadership ultimately played a central role in the catastrophe that claimed his life.
Monroe's documentary shifts attention away from OceanGate's leadership and instead highlights the voices of former employees like David Lochridge, the operations director who sounded the alarm on serious safety concerns and was fired for it.
The doc carefully unpacks the many dangers involved, zeroing in on the controversial choice of carbon fiber for the Titan's hull, a cheaper alternative to the traditional metals trusted in deep-sea engineering.
What's truly haunting is actually hearing the terrifying sounds made during OceanGate's own stress tests. Lacking footage from the final dive, Monroe uses these archival recordings to bring the story to life, helping viewers grasp the reality behind Stockton Rush's claims that the company was doing suspicious stuff.
However, while watching 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster,' I couldn't help but feel that the doc sometimes focused a bit too much on Rush himself, without fully unpacking the bigger systemic problems that contributed to the tragedy.
At times, the pacing felt a little uneven, and the way the story unfolded made it a bit challenging to follow everything smoothly. I found myself wishing it dug deeper into those broader issues behind the scenes.
But even with those moments, it still gives you a powerful and detailed look at what went wrong and how ambition without caution can have devastating consequences.
For anyone who follows the news closely or spends plenty of time online, the tragedy of the Titan submersible was impossible to miss during the summer of 2023.
Because the story unfolded in real time and dominated headlines, it might feel like this documentary is arriving late to the conversation and presents obvious facts that the public were already told.
But for those who were deeply affected or became invested in what happened, 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' offers a sobering and sensitive look back, one that helps piece together the full story beyond the headlines.
You can stream 'Titan: The OceanGate Disaster' on Netflix now. For more streaming recommendations, check out our guide on the best documentaries to watch on Netflix.