Netflix documentary dives into OceanGate’s Titan sub disaster

A new documentary premiering on 11 June aims to uncover the fatal decisions that led to the implosion of the Titan submersible, which killed five people during a 2023 expedition to the Titanic wreck site.

Titan: The OceanGate Disaster follows the story of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and his ambition to revolutionize deep-sea exploration. The film traces the years leading up to the June 2023 incident, when the Titan sub disappeared during a dive off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Debris was later found on the ocean floor, confirming the vessel had imploded.

“There was no context for what could have happened to those onboard, and the only touchpoint was the Titanic, a story that’s now become a grim fairy tale,” said director Mark Monroe. “The more I dug into this terrible tragedy, the more intrigued I became about how this could have ever happened in the first place, and who exactly was the man who built and then went down with this ship. We hope that this film can help provide answers to these very questions.”

The documentary draws on whistleblower accounts, archival footage, and key audio recordings to explore the decisions made by Rush, who was among those killed in the incident. It also examines the controversial use of carbon fiber in the Titan’s hull, a material not traditionally used at such depths.

“You can’t understand the decisions unless you understand the consequences of the decisions,” Monroe added. “[Rush] was trying to use carbon fiber... to do something it has never been asked to do before.”

Monroe said the film is not just a chronicle of events, but also a cautionary tale.

“The film … critiques a segment of society who believe the rules don’t apply to them, and feel well within their rights to break them in the name of something greater,” Monroe says. “The greatest tragedy, and what I hope audiences come to understand, is how this disaster was completely avoidable.”