TheTrainwreckdocumentaryfranchise has episodes that don’t all necessarily fit into thetrue crimegenre. That is, unless you call gross negligence, unfortunate hoaxes, and elaborate social media pranks gone wrong crimes. People weren’t charged or arrested in every situation, but it’s evident that a trainwreck occurred, some in incredibly horrendous fashion.
Every episode of the compartmentalized series covers a real-life situation that led to shocking, unbelievable circumstances. From an attempt to bring back Woodstock that went awry to several instances of social media posts going viral and reaching dangerous proportions, every installment will leave jaws dropped. Some take a more humorous tone, others are downright tragic.
9’Trainwreck: P.I. Moms' (Episode 7)
Many don’t even know that there was supposed to be a Lifetime series calledP.I. Moms. That’s because it never aired due to serious controversies. It started with a private investigation firm that hired moms after realizing women had a special knack for the job. The group of moms they brought on turned out to be not only fantastic at the job but also personable and got along well with one another. One thing led to another, and the idea for a TV show was born. But it wasn’t going to be that easy.
The story inTrainwreck: P.I. Momstakes viewers down a sordid rabbit hole. There’s a bitter male employee (and aspiring actor), secret drug deals, and clandestine e-mails to the press that all combine to makeP.I. Momsa story that itself would be worthy of being turned into a TV drama. However,P.I. Momsis less of a trainwreck compared to the others in this series, as it is a train that never really got to leave the station. It’s a true crime story, and while it doesn’t rank amongthe best true crime on Netflix, it’s worth watching.
8’Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem' (Episode 2)
With all the political mayhem going on now, many forget thatRob Ford, the former mayor of Toronto, was one of the more outspoken politicians in Canada — and any country, for that matter. He came out guns blazing as a politician for the people, making promises and casting doubt on the media to allegedly help create mistrust whenever there was a scandal that might have truth to it. And boy, did that happen. When a local newspaper was shown a video of Ford allegedly smoking drugs, and the news eventually got out (from another source), citizens refused to believe it, figuring it was a hoax or completely made up. Even when he admitted to indiscretions, his legion of supporters felt he was being treated unfairly and that he was the shake-up politician the city needed (though many eventually came around).
The documentary provides a wonderful synopsis of Ford’s journey from start to finish, including compelling interviews with people involved, from journalists to former staffers. But the story is compressed into just under an hour, which doesn’t allow for much development and detail, including nothing much at all about his personal life, nor his brotherDoug Ford(who now serves as the Premier of Ontario). There’s so much more to cover about this man who was one of the most erratic, unbelievable politicians in North American history.
7’Trainwreck: Balloon Boy' (Episode 6)
Many may recall the “balloon boy hoax” of 2009, when eccentric parentsRichardandMayumi Heenefrantically called police, believing their six-year-old sonFalconwas trapped inside a flying saucer they had built in their backyard. Yes, it’s as crazy as it sounds. Authorities didn’t know what to make of it until this flying object was spotted by a news helicopter in the sky. The saucer flew for 90 minutes as the terrified family (and, eventually, everyone watching on TV) was hopeful it would land safely and Falcon would be okay. Except Falcon was never inside. He was hiding in the attic the entire time, having apparently fallen asleep for hours. Or did he?
Trainwreck: Balloon Boyrelives the events as well as the controversial live interview when Falcon seemingly made it sound like he was coached to pretend to be missing. Both Richard and Mayumi insist to this day, both interviewed in the documentary, that they legitimately thought their son had sneakily crawled inside. A now 22-year-old Falcon says the same. It’s a fascinating, quirky story that those who recall it will enjoy, and those who know nothing about it will be left with dropped jaws. But there’s no resolution since the truth is still arguably up in the air, pun intended.
6’Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel' (Episode 4)
At one point in time, American Apparel was a massive deal in youth culture. The edgy brand praised individuality and uniqueness as well as a “made in America” mantra and didn’t shy away from graphic ads showing young women in suggestive positions. Teenagers and young adults were flocking to work there and felt a sense of pride in being part of the counterculture team. That is, until they didn’t.Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparelchronicles the rise and fall ofDov Charney, founder of the brand that became an icon. From the excitement of working there to the fear and anxiety employees felt from his alleged tyrannical behavior, several former employees are interviewed, while there are historical clips of Charney.
To say it became a toxic work environment is putting it lightly, as this documentary suggests. It’s shocking all the way through, with interesting personalities delivering the stories and spilling tea about situations that many say still traumatize them to this day.
5’Trainwreck: Storm Area 51' (Episode 8)
All it took was one satirical post for a massive controversy to commence involving government secrets,the military, and concert promoters. Wait, what? Vape store employeeMatty Robertsthought it would be funny to post a sardonic note about a fake event where everyone would gather to storm Area 51, the classified United States Air Force facility in Nevada. “They can’t stop all of us,” the post read. Just a few hours later, the post had gone viral, and thousands, then hundreds of thousands of people were sharing memes, videos, and commenting on this supposed event. Why not attempt to storm this classified base with heavily armed soldiers who have orders to protect it at all costs and will shoot to kill if it’s breached? Sounds like a great plan!
Trainwreck: Storm Area 51follows Matty’s story as he tries to turn it into a positive with a massive party in the desert. But things don’t quite turn out as intended, with plenty of damage done along the way. It’s funny, but sad to consider all the fallout that occurred and money spent to stop this event from becoming what could have been one of the biggest mass casualty events in American history. What happens on that fateful day? You’ll have to watch to find out.
4’Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy' (Episode 2)
Travis Scottturned an old Six Flags location into an annual music festival called Astroworld in 2018, but the 2021 festival resulted in tragedy, andTrainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedysets out to explain what happened in thisdisaster documentary. A perfect storm of events led to far too many people crammed into too small a space, pushing, shoving, and harming one another. In the end, 10 people wound up dead.
Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedyis the one episode that feels the most like a traditional documentary. It follows the event from conception with harrowing interviews from survivors and friends and family members of those who tragically died. Who was at fault? What should have or could have been done? This entry in the series is the one with the darkest themes. There are no laughs in hindsight about the events, only a sorrowful feeling about a completely preventable tragedy. It also raises questions about performers and their responsibilities, prompting many artists since then to do things like stop concerts to check on fans who seem to be suffering or ill. After watching this documentary, viewers will understand why that’s so crucial and will be left feeling gutted for the families and friends who lost loved ones that fateful night.
3’Trainwreck: The Real Project X' (Episode 5)
Back in 2012 in the Netherlands, at a time when Facebook had reached a height of popularity among young users, 16-year-oldMerthe Marije Wesuthuiscreated a birthday party invitation to send to her friends. But she mistakenly left it as public versus private, and soon, thousands were replying to this party in a posh neighborhood. Taking the post down didn’t help when someone else recreated a duplicate and kept the momentum going, terrifying both Wesuthuis and her family.
Wesuthuis discusses her bewilderment at what was going on, her family’s reaction, and the desperate attempts to prevent thousands from showing up at her house for what they believed would be the most epic party. Chaos, rioting, and arrests are all discussed by partygoers, friends, and police, with YouTube footage from the event recorded by budding creators.Trainwreck: The Real Project Xtakes going viral to dangerous and terrifying heights and wonderfully serves as a cautionary tale about the power of the internet and the potentialhorrors of social media.
2’Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99' (Episode 1)
Woodstock is the most iconic music festival ever to occur, celebrating peace, love, and harmony and representing the counterculture of the 1960s. People gathered to enjoy fantastic music and spread love and happiness. But when there was an attempt to replicate this magic in 1999, it didn’t go so well. From the focus on cutting corners and making money versus promoting peace to the harder heavy metal bands that riled up the crowd with rage-themed music and a new generation that centered on machismo, profanity, nudity, and overall inappropriate behavior, it was an all-out zoo.
Delivered in three parts,Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99,the first of this series introduced back in 2022, focuses on a different day of the three-day event in each one-hour episode, with every installment becoming worse than the last. It hones in on specifics with accounts from those involved in putting the event together (including the original creator of Woodstock), along with those who worked the event, journalists who covered it, musicians who performed, and those who attended. It’s jaw-dropping to watch how things got progressively worse as the days and hours went on in ways viewers won’t even be able to imagine until watching. Most importantly revealed in this episode is that, while the event was Woodstock in name, that’s about all it shared with the original. There was no love nor understanding, and certainly no peace.
1’Trainwreck: Poop Cruise' (Episode 3)
Be prepared to laugh, cry, and cringe. InTrainwreck: Poop Cruise, learn about that time back in 2013 when a cruise ship turned into a floating, feces-filled prison with no food or air conditioning for days. The only reason viewers won’t feel bad about laughing at the unfortunate events is that the people interviewed in the episode who went through it can look back on it with a smile and a lightheartedness that’s tough to fathom. Hearing a former crew member describe the “poop lasagna” in the toilets, one man discussing his determination to “hold it in,” and others recalling theLord of the Flies-like fight for shelter, mattresses, and chairs on the deck is so devastating you almost have to laugh. Knowing no one was seriously harmed allows viewers to laugh with, not at, those who endured the situation. It’s the sort of documentary that makes viewers wonder what they might have done in such a situation, because yes,it is indeed a true story.
Despite the laughs, there’s no doubt it was a terrifying experience. One account from a father who was just looking for a nice vacation with his daughter tugs at heartstrings and reminds viewers that, as much as some can laugh about it now, it was horrifying to go through at the time. It’s such a shockingly unbelievable story that the footage and testimonies bring the reality of how dire things were home. It’s so graphic and descriptive that viewers will almost be able to smell it through the screen.
