7 documentaries similar to Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster
Directed by Mark Monroe, Netflix's new documentary Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster delves into the submersible implosion that made headlines back in 2023. Given that the incident was well-reported by news agencies across the globe, a lot is already known to the viewers. However, the well-made documentary is still worth watching because of the detailed narrative and eye-opening interviews.
Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster focuses on the impulsive persona of Stockton Rush, the American CEO of OceanGate, and his compulsion to pursue innovation at the cost of necessary safety protocols. Rush lost his life on June 18, 2023, along with Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a deep-sea explorer; businessmen Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood, and Suleman, Dawood's son.
Documentary fans who enjoyed watching Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster should make a point to check out the titles mentioned on this list that are equally engaging and thought-provoking.
Disclaimer: This list contains information from various sources.
Last Breath, and six other documentaries like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster that are unmissable
1) Ghosts of the Abyss (2003)
The incidents in Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster would have never occurred if OceanGate hadn't been adamant about starting expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean. Ghosts of the Abyss, directed by James Cameron, also focuses on an expedition to the RMS Titanic.
Cameron, Bill Paxton, and a group of scientists were part of the expedition. Russian deep submersibles captured detailed images of the wreckage, and these were then used to recreate the ship's original appearance with the help of CGI.
The expedition in Ghosts of the Abyss wasn't as complex and risky as the one in Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, but it was still able to shed light on the dangers and challenges of deep diving. This documentary will particularly interest viewers who seek to understand the factors that caused the Titanic disaster and its aftermath.
Where to watch: Prime Video and Apple TV+
2) The Queen of Versailles (2012)
The main highlight of Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is Stockton Rush and his self-absorbed personality. The same can also be witnessed in Jackie Siegel from The Queen of Versailles. Directed by Lauren Greenfield, this documentary focuses on Jackie and her husband, David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts.
The couple attracted a lot of attention when they set out to build an opulent private residence, aptly named Versailles. Once completed, it would be one of the largest and most expensive single-family houses in the United States. However, construction hit a snag when the Great Recession hit in 2008.
The Queen of Versailles, like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, draws the viewer in by introducing credible interviewees who were close enough to the chaos to give informed insights. It cleverly explores the downside of living a purely materialistic life that is removed from the pitfalls of reality.
Where to watch: Netflix, Apple TV+, and Prime Video
3) The China Hustle (2017)
One thing that comes through in Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is that when things look too good to be true, it's best to be cautious. The China Hustle, directed by Jed Rothstein, also carries the same message. It delves into the securities fraud by Chinese companies listed on the US stock market, which went on for decades.
In Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, topics such as submersible production, assembly, safety protocols, and the like are clarified in layman's terms to aid viewers who may not have detailed knowledge about the same. Likewise, The China Hustle also explains the financial concepts well so that the audience can connect to the subject matter.
Informative and engaging, The China Hustle is a must-watch for those who want to know more about Wall Street.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Prime Video, and Netflix
4) Last Breath (2018)
Like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, Last Breath also focuses on an underwater accident that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Directed by Richard da Costa and Alex Parkinson, the documentary brings to light a serious saturation diving accident that occurred in 2012.
Chris Lemons, a diver, became trapped around 100 meters under the sea when his umbilical cable got severed. Chances of his survival looked slim as there was only a small amount of breathing gas in his backup tank, and rescue efforts would take a minimum of thirty minutes.
The narrative of Last Breath is packed with several tense moments that keep the audience invested from start to finish. As compared to Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, this documentary is much more hopeful as the team displays unrelenting bravery and compassion.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Netflix, and Apple TV+
5) The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)
In Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, it becomes obvious that Stockton Rush wanted to achieve the unthinkable at any cost. The only one who can match his frenetic drive is Elizabeth Holmes, the central figure in The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley by Alex Gibney.
The documentary chronicles the rise and fall of Theranos, which was founded in 2003 by Elizabeth when she was only 19 years old. The company claimed that it had devised a way to carry out fast and accurate blood tests with very small amounts of blood. However, it was soon revealed that all the claims were false.
Like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley captures how innovation needs to be celebrated, but shouldn't come at the cost of innocent lives.
Where to watch: Max, Prime Video, and Apple TV+.
6) Fyre (2019)
According to the expert interviewees in Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, the expedition was doomed from the start. The same ominous feeling tends to surface in Fyre by Chris Smith. The documentary focuses on the 2017 Fyre Festival, which was promoted as one of the biggest luxury music festivals in the world.
Organized by Billy McFarland, a businessman, and Ja Rule, a well-known rapper, the Fyre Festival was a big flop as it failed to provide attendees with any of the promised services and amenities. The documentary not only captures the flaws in planning and execution but also showcases the on-ground chaos and mismanagement faced by festival attendees.
Like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, Fyre expertly uses detailed interviews and rare footage to give viewers the full picture of everything that transpired and contributed to its eventual failure.
Where to watch: Netflix
7) WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021)
Like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster's deep dive into Stockton Rush's mindset, WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn helps viewers understand more about Adam Neumann, his ambitions, and desires. Directed by Jed Rothstein, it seeks to showcase how Neumann propelled WeWork to a valuation as high as $47 billion before a failed IPO sent him packing.
This documentary, like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, approaches the matter at hand from multiple angles so that viewers are able to form a comprehensive understanding of everything that happened. It is especially interesting to hear from WeWork employees who genuinely believed in Neumann and got swept up in his whirlwind vision, only to feel cheated and disappointed.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Hulu, and Apple TV+
These documentaries, like Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, keep viewers engaged with cleverly formatted narratives that are informative and riveting.
