It is often suggested that Netflix’s primary competitor is not another streaming service but the video-sharing platform YouTube. This comparison feels particularly apt when considering Netflix’s documentary series, Trainwreck. Marketed as standalone films, the series revisits recent media scandals and cultural phenomena, often with a superficiality that mirrors user-generated content.
While previous installments have covered events like Woodstock ’99 and the infamous “Poop Cruise,” the latest entry, Trainwreck: Storm Area 51, tackles a decidedly internet-age phenomenon. The film chronicles how a satirical 2019 Facebook post spiraled into a real-world event that drew thousands to the Nevada desert.
The story originates with Matty Roberts, then 20, who created a joke Facebook event inviting people to “storm” the secretive Area 51 military base, a landmark in conspiracy and alien folklore. Fueled by memes and a reference to the anime Naruto, the post unexpectedly attracted millions of RSVPs, prompting a serious response from the U.S. military. As several journalists interviewed in the film admit, there was an expectation of a “Fyre Festival 2.0.” However, the actual events proved far less dramatic.
Despite its compelling premise, the documentary struggles with execution, telling its story in extensive yet shallow detail. Much of its runtime is dedicated to displaying the memes that fueled the event, and it resorts to clichéd re-enactments of simple internet searches. The figures at the center of the story, including the overwhelmed Roberts and opportunistic local business owners, are not developed enough to carry the narrative. Their motivations and plans remain vague, leaving the film without a strong central anchor.
The film’s primary flaw is its length. At nearly 100 minutes spread across two parts, the narrative is stretched far beyond its capacity. The material—explaining viral memes, profiling a few enthusiastic attendees, and detailing the logistical pressures on organizers and law enforcement—warrants little more than a short-form video.
Ultimately, Trainwreck: Storm Area 51 misses the opportunity to seriously explore the enduring cultural appeal of the Area 51 mythos. Instead, it offers a slickly produced but empty retelling of a minor internet phenomenon, a story that would have been more effectively told in a fraction of the time.
