‘Trainwreck: Balloon Boy’ (2025) Netflix Review - Refreshes Memory of the Heene Family

Back in October 2009, if you remember, there was a story on “Balloon Boy”. For those of you who don’t know, here’s what it's about: Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, the main focus of the documentary is on the Heene family. It consists of Richard, the father, Mayumi, the mother, and three namely: Bradford, the oldest, Ryo, the middle child, and Falcon, the youngest. From the looks of it, this family presents itself as the type who are focused on science experiments and home video production. And what’s eerie is that the footage we get to see seems a bit odd, as the family is overly into each other.  The matriarch of the family, Richard Heene, is obsessed with science. So far, he has created many small projects, such as the weather balloon prototypes. It is this curiosity that made him a media frenzy, an overnight sensation. Heene ended up creating a makeshift UFO balloon out of plastic, duct tape, and foil. Now this might seem harmless, however, the balloon took off on its flight very unexpectedly, surprising everyone. Everything is fine until the family realizes that Falcon, the youngest child, is missing. Where is he? Even after searching thoroughly, he was nowhere to be found. Bradford reveals that he saw Falcon climbing the UFO. Could you blame the child for his curiosity? Of course not. In a situation like this, one expects the family to call for help. Instead, they call the local TV to inform before dialing 911. Choppers belonging to media houses are flying, and the news has become a national story. People are curious and watch eagerly as to what will unfold next.

The twist doesn’t end here. The balloon finally lands. But to everyone’s surprise, Falcon isn’t there. So does that mean he fell down? Even so, where is he?  Police conduct multiple searches, and it is then revealed that Flacon was actually hiding in the attic. Now, this clearly looks like an act of play by the family. However, in the documentary, we are told this wasn’t the case. Now, adult Bradford says that as a child, Falcon was very mischievous. He loved getting inside tight spaces, and that’s what he did when he saw the balloon as well. However, from all this, we are left with many questions such as why was the media called? If he hadn’t gotten inside the balloon, why did Bradford claim that he saw Falcon? Was this all a joke? Was the family trying to get the attention of the world by this stupid publicity stunt?

Oddly so, once you have finished watching the documentary, you feel angry. Angry at what this family is up to and how they are willing to risk the life of their own child. Coming to the documentary, it’s a well-made one. Through footage, archives, and interviews, we get an insight into what really happened in that very moment. It does refresh our memories regarding this bizarre event, just in case we forgot. It's a quick watch for those of you who are documentary lovers. If not, it is still amusing.

Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Choudhuri
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times