Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster

The documentary tells the story of OceanGate and the thrill seekers who apparently aren't claustrophobic. How anyone could feel safe locked in a vessel such as that is beyond me. It also brings others who had an obligation to act (but didn't) to the forefront of this strange odyssey. With the exception of Josh Gates and the men and women of the USCG, everyone else who was interviewed seem like they're still hiding details, or just don't have a conscience. They all continue pointing the finger at Stockton, yet they were all part of the team, they just can't accept responsibility.

And who on earth was responsible for the on-screen effects? Every time they show a date they immediately rewind it 1, 2 or 3 years. Just show the date as it is, it's extremely annoying.

Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster is a gripping documentary that attempts to delve into one of the most tragic and bizarre maritime incidents in recent history - the catastrophic loss of the Titan submersible. The film deserves credit for its slick production, emotional interviews, and chilling underwater soundscapes that amplify the tension. It offers a strong human element, focusing on the lives of the five victims and their motivations for embarking on such a perilous journey.

However, the documentary falls short in several key areas. While it does well recounting the timeline of the disaster, it occasionally veers into sensationalism, leaning too heavily on dramatized speculation instead of sticking to verified facts. Some viewers may find its pacing uneven, with extended sequences that feel padded and repetitive, as if trying to stretch a 45-minute story into a feature-length runtime.

Additionally, the film could have dug deeper into the systemic issues that allowed OceanGate's risky practices to go unchecked, instead of lightly brushing over regulatory gaps. Experts are featured, but often in soundbites rather than substantive analysis. The ending leaves you unsettled, not just from the tragedy, but from a sense of incompletion.

Ultimately, Implosion is worth watching for its emotional resonance and eerie atmosphere, but it doesn't fully live up to its potential as a comprehensive or investigative documentary. It's a respectful tribute, but not a revelatory one.

Two years after the OceanGate tragedy gripped the world, HBO finally delivers a polished, official-looking documentary on the implosion that captivated headlines and imaginations. When it happened, the internet became a living archive - I couldn't stop digging, watching, reading. It was morbid, yes, but impossible to ignore. The kind of real-life disaster that lingers, then fades - until something brings it roaring back.

This documentary could've been that something.

The production is slick, the archival footage gripping - debris fields, deep-sea dives, voices from past expeditions. But the interviews don't land. Some are vague, others feel staged. You're left sensing there's more behind the eyes of the people speaking, and that the truth is hiding just off-camera. The tone leans into drama, and not in the good way. It cheapens the weight of what really happened.

There was a story here that needed telling. This version gets close - but never quite reaches the depth.

I enjoyed watching this. When the rich or the innovators of this world take on tasks which could be dangerous, I applaud them. When they do things for profit that can endanger the public, I'm angered. There was NO REASON for this other than ego. He was already rich and if this venture failed without killing anyone except himself we would understand. In the movie The Poseidon Adventure the company owners want the ship to meet a deadline, despite the captain telling them it was dangerous. Then disaster. This was the same and as one of the former employees referenced, " The Emperor Has No Clothes On!" Great Documentary! 2 thumbs up.

This TV documentary was rushed to compete and be released ahead of Netflix's competing product "Titan: The Oceangate Disaster". It focuses on the Coast Guard hearings crew members and lacks key Oceangate people that Netflix snatched first and locked into a contract. Some bad moments are interviewing a diversity hire person that gives no relevant information about the investigation and stock footage of an airplane doing a loop being shown to buy time. And this is in the 60 minutes version. Ouch. The only triumph of this documentary is the exclusive footage of a key moment in the tragedy (and they show it twice).