Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing review
In 2022, Rory Kennedy exposed the aviation safety scandal in which 346 people died – but since then, a plane door has blown out mid-flight and more whistleblowers have come to the fore. Will anyone pay for this?
TL;DR
- The documentary "Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing" explores the continuation of the aviation safety scandal after the 2022 film "Downfall: The Case Against Boeing."
- The film details the March 2024 death of former Boeing employee and whistleblower John Barnett, ruled a suicide, who was a contributor to the previous documentary.
- It includes accounts from families who lost loved ones in the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes, as well as new whistleblowers inspired by the earlier film.
- Anonymized workers express distrust in the safety of planes they build, with some refusing to fly on them.
- The documentary reconstructs the January 2024 incident where a 737 Max door plug blew out mid-flight due to missing bolts, a danger Barnett had previously warned about.
- Politicians, such as Senator Josh Hawley, are featured questioning Boeing's leadership, including former CEO Dave Calhoun, regarding executive compensation amid safety concerns.
- The film draws parallels with other documentaries about unregulated capital infiltrating industries like construction, tech, and pharmaceuticals.
- The central argument is that without criminal prosecution for individuals in Boeing's leadership, the issues will not be resolved.
- Boeing stated that some claims are unfounded, while others have been addressed or are being improved.