What started as a one-off deep dive into the disaster that was Woodstock ’99 has officially become a full-blown franchise of mayhem for Netflix.
The Trainwreck banner now spans multiple true-story docos, each chronicling a pop culture debacle that left us stunned, fascinated… or both. And with eight new instalments landing across the coming weeks, this train isn’t slowing down.
Recent titles include Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, which charted in Netflix Australia’s Top 10 last week. It revisits the notorious 2013 cruise that left thousands stranded at sea amid failing plumbing and overflowing sewage… grim stuff. Then came Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel, diving into the rise and crash of the fashion empire, its scandal-plagued founder, and the fallout that followed.
Earlier episodes in the current run include Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy, recounting the deadly crowd crush at Travis Scott’s 2021 music festival, and Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem, centred on Toronto’s infamous ex-mayor Rob Ford, whose time in office was marred by scandal and substance abuse.
Next is Trainwreck: The Real Project X, a wild account of a Dutch teen’s birthday party that spiralled into a full-blown riot after her Facebook invite went viral, proving once again that the internet simply doesn’t do low-key.
Still to come:
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July 15: Trainwreck: Balloon Boy — Remember the dad who claimed his son floated off in a homemade flying saucer? Turns out, there was more to that story than first appeared.
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July 22: Trainwreck: P.I. Moms — A look at the reality TV show about soccer mums-turned-private investigators, and the criminal allegations that brought the whole thing undone.
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July 29: Trainwreck: Storm Area 51 — A revisit of the viral movement to “see them aliens”, and the bizarre desert gathering it spawned.
The success of these docs lies in their mix of shock, nostalgia, and that watchable blend of disaster and disbelief. And if Netflix’s track record is anything to go by, we’re likely to see plenty more modern meltdowns get the Trainwreck treatment.
