You Won’t Be Able to Look Away From These 10 Eye-Opening Disaster Documentaries on Netflix

Disaster documentaries aren’t everyone’s cup of tea because they offer a raw portrayal of what happens when humans come face to face with catastrophe. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a purely man-made tragedy, there’s no denying that some disasters shape history and impact communities for years to come. Contrary to popular belief, though, disaster documentaries aren’t just a harrowing retelling of the destruction that comes alongside these incidents.

These films become a way for survivors to tell their side of the story and the lessons they learned when faced with utter devastation. If anything, this genre honors the stories that truly matter and humanizes the statistics and headlines that most of us only ever watch on TV. I admit that some disaster documentaries end up sensationalizing tragedies and fail to explore the complexity of these situations. At the same time, though, many films do manage to get it right.

10

‘Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster’ (2025)

Directed by Mark Monroe

Netflix’s exploration of the 2023 OceanGate Titan submersible implosion hits hard since the world is still coming to terms with the horrific disaster. Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster paints a realistic picture of everything that led up to the unfortunate incident and sheds light on every possible angle of the story. The documentary, directed by Mark Monroe, tells the story of the incident through whistleblower accounts, archival footage, and interviews with experts to examine all the decisions and systemic failures that resulted in the deaths of five people.

What’s really engaging about the documentary is the fact that we hear from the families and friends of the victims, whose lives have been changed forever. From the failed safety protocols to OceanGate’s risky decisions, you learn that the incident was completely avoidable if the higher-ups had paid any attention to the concerns raised by the engineers and experts. All in all, Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is a deep dive into the technical failures and the sheer negligence behind the tragedy, which serves as a powerful reminder of the cost of progress. If anything, the documentary is a reminder that safety should always come before pushing the boundaries of science.

Titan: The OceanGate Disaster

Release Date

June 11, 2025

Runtime

111 minutes

Director

Mark Monroe

Producers

Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Mala Chapple, Kate Barry, Amy Herdy, Tommy Coriale, Jon Bardin

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9

‘Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire’ (2021)

Directed by John Mavety

This documentary tells the story of the tragic events of the 1979 fire at the Luna Park Ghost Train ride in Sydney, Australia. On the night of June 9, 1979, the popular ride suddenly went up in flames and trapped everyone inside. The harrowing incident resulted in the deaths of seven people, six of whom were children. What’s even sadder is that the case has remained unsolved since then, with initial police investigations ruling it an accident caused by an electrical fault or even a discarded cigarette, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The documentary, however, brings new evidence to light and claims that the fire was a result of arson.

Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire takes you through old footage and eyewitness accounts to highlight the systemic failures that led to the fire, along with a possibly botched investigation. The documentary suggests that Detective Inspector Knight, who was later accused of corruption, could have been part of a cover-up to shut the case down. The story follows suspicions raised by an independent journalist and explores the potential involvement of an organized crime group, whose members were reportedly heard talking about kerosene and matches right before the fire. Exposed: The Ghost Train Fire is one of those documentaries that truly had an impact and led to the case being reopened, with the authorities announcing a $1 million reward for any new information related to the fire.

8

‘The Twister: Caught in the Storm’ (2025)

Directed by Alexandra Lacey

It’s rare for disaster documentaries to have an in-depth, personal approach, since the objective of the genre is to explore the more technical and scientific side of the event. However, The Twister: Caught in the Storm does more than just that. The documentary takes you through the 2011 Joplin tornado disaster that killed 158 people and destroyed nearly 8,000 homes. Rather than just focusing on the logistics, the documentary tells the story from the perspective of several teenagers who survived the deadly storm. With every interview, you can practically see the emotional toll of the disaster and how the survivors grapple with their trauma years later.

The Twister: Caught in the Storm does focus on the broader picture too, and takes you through the devastating consequences of the tornado, along with the grueling efforts put into searching for the survivors and rebuilding Joplin. I’d recommend this as a must-watch, not just for people interested in natural disasters, but for anyone who wants to understand something as traumatic as this from a mental health lens.

7

‘Days of Disaster’ (2015)

Directed by Yew Meng Chong

This one’s not exactly a conventional documentary, but it’s definitely worth a watch. Days of Disaster is a five-part series that focuses on five major disasters that have taken place in Singapore throughout the years. The idea of the documentary series is brilliant because it really delves into how each disaster eventually led to systemic change and helped Singapore emerge as one of the most resilient nations in the world. From CGI to eyewitness accounts and dramatic reconstructions, Days of Disaster makes use of every possible tool to take you through the events that shaped Singapore’s response to disaster management.

The documentary covers the 1972 SQ 117 Hijack, the 1961 Bukit Ho Swee Fire, the 1978 Sypros Explosion, the 1986 Hotel New World Collapse, and the 1960s Megafloods. What’s fascinating is how the story manages to connect the events and show how the community came together every single time. Not to mention the personal stories of those affected and the importance of government action in the wake of tragedies as massive as these. Safe to say that Days of Disaster is an engaging watch for just about everyone, but especially history enthusiasts.

Days of Disaster

Release Date

2015 – 2014

Network

MediaCorp Central

• 

  Remesh Panicker

  Uncredited

6

‘Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake’ (2022)

Directed by Olly Lambert

Earthquake documentaries usually focus on the center of the action, the areas where the disaster hits the hardest. From the devastation in major cities to the immediate chaos, these films like to zoom in on the immediate horrors of it all. But what I like about Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake is the documentary’s intricate look at every possible way a disaster impacts communities and focuses on the smaller, less-known events that take place in the aftermath of an earthquake. The documentary hones in on the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, which struck with a magnitude of 7.8 and caused widespread destruction across the country.

The story, however, centers on narratives that have often remained untold. First, you have a group of mountaineers trapped on Mount Everest, then there are the trekkers in the Langtang Valley, and then, the survivors in Kathmandu. Hearing the stories of the avalanche at Everest, along with the experiences of people caught in a life-or-death situation, the rockslide at Langtang Valley really broadens your perspective and raises questions about the very idea of survival. Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake is an exploration of the human mind when faced with intense, overwhelming danger. If you ask me, that’s much more than a documentary.

5

‘Fire in Paradise’ (2019)

Directed by Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari

For a documentary that’s only 40 minutes long, Fire in Paradise is a pretty great and informative watch. Because of its short time span, the documentary feels urgent and places the audience right in the middle of the deadliest wildfire in California’s history. The film introduces you to the town of Paradise and its people, whose lives were changed forever on November 8, 2018. What started off as a faulty electrical transmission turned into a fire that killed 85 people, destroyed more than 18,000 structures and left thousands homeless. Since the incident took place in the age of social media, Fire in Paradise capitalizes on raw footage from residents’ phones as they document their homes catching fire as they attempted to evacuate within minutes.

I think what makes Fire in Paradise hit so hard is the raw emotional honesty that it showcases. You see the survivors’ perspective in real time, and that’s enough for anyone to feel the utter horror and helplessness that they went through. Beyond just that, the documentary also explores these wildfires becoming increasingly common in California as a result of climate change. The film definitely packs a punch, and I can guarantee that by the time it ends, you will have tears in your eyes.

4

‘Katrina: Come Hell and High Water’ (2025)

Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Samantha Knowles, and Spike Lee

20 years after the destructive Hurricane Katrina, this documentary follows the people of New Orleans reflecting on the disaster and its aftermath. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water takes you through the summer of 2025 when the hurricane made landfall and ended up being one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history. The tragedy displaced over a million people and the entire city of New Orleans was left submerged. What we learn, though, is that the storm was just the beginning. The three-part documentary features survivors and emergency responders as they share their harrowing experiences and presents fresh perspectives that have often been overlooked in the mainstream.

I have to give it to executive producer Spike Lee for ensuring that we get a nuanced take on the disaster that centers on the voices of those affected the most by it. Katrina: Come Hell and High Water isn’t afraid of asking tough questions about governmental response to incidents such as these while taking a critical look at the authorities’ response to the tragedy. To me, it was shocking to see the long-term economic impact the hurricane had on the economy of New Orleans, and how it affects the citizens to this day.

3

‘Challenger: The Final Flight’ (2020)

Directed by Daniel Junge and Steven Leckart

On January 28, 1986, NASA‘s Space Shuttle Challenger took off with seven crew members on board. However, disaster struck when the shuttle exploded just 73 seconds into its flight and resulted in the deaths of everyone aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher who was being sent to space. What’s harrowing is that the tragedy was witnessed live by millions of people all over the world, and to this day, it remains ingrained in America’s collective memory. Challenger: The Final Flight is an extremely moving account of the events surrounding the disaster.

The four-part series takes you through the lead-up to the fatal launch before diving deep into its fatal technical failures, and finally, the aftermath of it all. What I love about the docuseries is that it pays homage to the seven astronauts who lost their lives and makes sure that their stories are put out there for the world to see. Of course, a major part of the documentary also focuses on the technical errors and organizational mistakes that eventually resulted in the disaster. Challenger: The Final Flight features interviews with the late astronauts’ family members, NASA officials, and engineers to paint a multi-faceted picture of the unfortunate incident and what could have been done to prevent it.

2

‘MH370: The Plane That Disappeared’ (2023)

Directed by Louise Malkinson

Despite the fact that we don’t actually know what happened to the fateful Malaysia Airlines flight, which disappeared on March 8, 2014, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared follows the extensive search effort and explores the endless theories that have emerged since the incident. The documentary takes a look at all the questions that remain unanswered about the flight, from the delays in the investigation to the confusion surrounding whatever information we do have as of now.

I personally love the narrative structure of the three-part documentary, which starts off on an emotional note and interviews family members still waiting for closure. From there, the story shifts to aviation experts and journalists who have spent years investigating the case, only to be met with nothing but more mystery. As questionable as it is, I appreciate the producers for addressing the many conspiracy theories that have taken over the internet as people from all around the world search for answers. At the same time, though, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared dives into the more technical side of things and gives you a lot of context on the geopolitical implications of the missing flight, along with the Malaysian government’s response to the disaster. You don’t expect documentaries to be nail-biting, but this one will have anyone on the edge of their seat.

1

‘The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari’ (2022)

Directed by Rory Kennedy

As far as documentaries go, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari is a visually stunning piece of work. The film follows the tragic and sudden eruption of the Whakaari volcano in New Zealand back in December 2019, which claimed the lives of 22 people and showed the world how dangerous nature can be at times. Fair warning that this documentary could be too much for some, since it features survivors’ footage that showcases the immediate aftermath of the volcanic eruption as they attempted to escape.

In many ways, the jaw-dropping beauty of Whakaari is an eerie contrast to the brutal reality of the eruption and everything that was destroyed in its wake. Not just that, The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari also gives a chance for the survivors to tell their story and share just how difficult their recovery really was. My favorite part about the film, though, was how it highlighted the unsung heroes, including tourists and rescuers who came together to save lives.

The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari

Release Date

November 3, 2022

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

Rory Kennedy

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