For the past few years, the acclaimed true crime documentary series, Trainwreck, has revisited some of the strangest and controversial moments (and figures) in modern history. From the intense Woodstock ‘99 doc that started it all to the surprisingly terrifying “Poop Cruise” episode, the collection of docs has done a lot. Recently, the 2025 Netflix original turned its attention to one of the most peculiar stories of the 2000s with Trainwreck: Balloon Boy.
Though the documentary didn’t really change my mind, and I still think that the whole October 2009 incident about a young boy supposedly being in a homemade flying saucer is some kind of hoax, I left Balloon Boy feeling something I didn’t expect: sympathy for the Heene family. Let me explain…
Trainwreck: Balloon Boy Didn’t Change My Mind When It Came To The 2009 ‘Flying Saucer’ Incident
binge-worthy Netflix series.
However, I Can’t Lie And Say I Didn’t Feel Bad For The Heene Family
Though the documentary didn’t change my mind about the incident, it did change the way I saw the Heene family. In fact, I can’t help but feel bad for them and everything they went through. We all know people who are a little off-kilter and don’t subscribe to societal norms; Richard Heene is one of those people. Does that make him a bad guy, a pariah, or someone who should be dogged for the rest of his life? I say no.
Yeah, the guy has high energy, takes a different approach to life, and can come off as abrasive at times, but he was trying to make life fun, exciting, and meaningful for his three sons. For that attempt to have fun with his kids, he became one of the biggest punchlines of the past two decades. And that’s a shame.
One thing that Trainwreck: Balloon Boy does really well is the exploration of the real consequences of a media circus, and how something so small and innocent can turn into a situation that changes everyone’s lives forever. Again, I still have the feeling that Richard Heene knew his son wasn’t in the balloon when it took off, but I also think he didn’t know it would end with him spending three months in jail and having to move across the country to escape it all.
I don’t know if this was the filmmaker’s intention, but the at times heartbreaking Netflix documentary does a tremendous job of illustrating the viciousness of the media in the wake of the incident. Whether it was an intense interview or a gaggle of cameramen sitting in front of the Heenes’ house at all hours of the night (with bright lights), it was a lot at times. I don’t think he expected that…
All in all, Trainwreck: Balloon Boy was one of the better docs in the series so far. If you want, you can check them all out now with a Netflix subscription.