Netflix premiered the new documentary "Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" on Wednesday, which explores the events that led to the catastrophic implosion that killed five people in June 2023.

The documentary, directed by Mark Monroe, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the technical failures and poor decision-making that led to the deadly expedition to the Titanic wreck site. The film focuses heavily on OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who piloted the submersible on its final dive and died alongside four passengers. Through exclusive access to whistleblower testimony and internal company recordings, the documentary reveals Rush's relentless pursuit of bringing deep-sea tourism to wealthy clients at a cost of $250,000 per trip.

The documentary features extensive interviews with David Lochridge, OceanGate's former marine operations director, who was fired in 2018 after raising safety concerns about the Titan's design. Lochridge describes Rush as someone who "wanted fame, first and foremost, to fuel his ego" and reveals alarming incidents during previous dives that foreshadowed the tragedy.

Central to the documentary's findings is the submersible's controversial carbon fiber hull construction, which experts deemed fundamentally flawed. The film shows footage of Rush abandoning a crucial deep-sea test at 3,939 meters after hearing concerning popping sounds from the hull, despite declaring the mission successful, although it had not reached the required 4,200-meter depth. One expert featured in the documentary states there was "no way of knowing when Titan was going to fail, but it was a mathematical certainty that it would fail."

The documentary also exposes Rush's decision to bypass industry safety certifications, refusing to have Titan "classed" by independent regulatory bodies. Former OceanGate engineering director Tony Nissen, who was also dismissed after questioning safety protocols, appears in the film describing Rush as "probably borderline clinical psychopath" and "definitely a narcissist."

The Titan tragedy occurred on June 18, 2023, when the submersible lost contact with its support vessel during its descent to the Titanic wreck site. All five occupants died instantly when the vessel imploded under crushing deep-sea pressure: Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, and French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

The documentary comes as the U.S. Coast Guard continues its investigation into the incident. OceanGate ceased all operations in July 2023 following the disaster. Director Monroe told Netflix that he hoped the film would "help provide answers" about how such a preventable tragedy could have occurred.

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Netflix, Documentary