Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster

If you only loosely followed the headlines of the Titan submersible disaster, you'll probably find some interesting discussions about the delamination and negligence on previous dives leading up to the fatal implosion. If you actively followed and read as much as you could, this documentary offers little new information. One thing that feels left out entirely is technical details about the hull's construction and design. There are videos of the actual Titan hull being wound in carbon, with discussions from the designers who assisted in production of the hull with Stockton - yet that is completely absent from this documentary. Where are those people today and why were they never interviewed by the USCG?

The bulk of this documentary focuses on portraying Stockton as a narcissist who ignores all warnings and safety, to parallel the USCG's investigation that inevitably will draw the same conclusion. The interviews don't seem like they're acknowledging the whole truth, or are leaving out certain details. There seems more to the story that we are not being told. Ultimately Stockton may be responsible, but one man was not able to design, build, and operate a submersible sub without the assistance of at least a hundred other people over the last decade. The documentary also leaves out that OceanGate operated other submersibles.

This documentary is 90 minutes of "Stockton bad", instead of 90 minutes of telling the story beyond Stockton, which is what a lot of people wanted.

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.

The arrogance of stockton rush was what doomed the Titan. This man had a lot of money and convinced others that he knew what he was doing when in fact he fired anyone who contradicted him in anyway. He said he didn't want a bunch of "old white men" constructing the Titan because he knew better. He used carbon fiber when he was told it most likely wouldn't hold after numerous dives and the people who told him were fired. He claimed to want this to be "accessible to everyone" but only if you had the money to do so. In the end he killed 4 people with his arrogance and I for one am happy he was on the Titan when it met its demise.

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.

When I came across this documentary on my HBO Max, the nostalgia of the story of this tragic, horrific incident totally came back to me. It's scary to imagine being down in the darkest depths of the abyss, then you die, never returning to the surface...ever. The documentary does a good job of diving deep into the origins of why this "Titan" was created. It definitely unravels a lot of behind the scenes footage of what was going on when they were testing it, the plans the team were deciding on, and deep stories from several eyewitnesses. I feel like there are some places where we as humans don't belong. And places down in the ocean that go to 4,000 meters is one of them. Though exploration in the ocean can be exciting, but there really are dangers to it and there needs to be certain limits I feel like. I get it, the Titanic is still down there, but why do people need to keep going to see it? It's not going anywhere.

The documentary teaches how such audacious decisions for the need to go down that deep should sometimes be ill-advised, especially if you're not even sure your own submarine is 100% ready. It also teaches us how pride can go before fall. The ego of Stockton, the main guy, he gets led astray into his own ways of testing the Titan, thinking it's perfect, but unfortunately not coming down to the root of caring about the real concerns and problems.

All in all, if you like mysteries or stuff about the ocean perhaps, then this a must watch.