July is going to be a huge month for Netflix documentaries

I’m the kind of Netflix subscriber who’s more than happy to let everyone else obsess over Squid Game, Wednesday, and all the other splashy original … The post July is going to be a huge month for Netflix documentaries appeared first on BGR.

Jun 27, 2025 - 17:50

July is going to be a huge month for Netflix documentaries

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel on Netflix

I’m the kind of Netflix subscriber who's more than happy to let everyone else obsess over Squid Game, Wednesday, and all the other splashy original series that dominate so much of the overall time spent on the service. Because, more often than not, when yours truly opens up the app, it's to enjoy a title from the streamer's extensive documentary slate, something the platform doesn’t always get enough credit for. From gripping true crime sagas to bizarro cultural deep-dives, the docs are in my opinion where Netflix really flexes its storytelling muscle.

Along those lines, the streaming giant’s Trainwreck series is back in July with a whopping five new titles that prove, once again, a timeless adage -- the one about reality being often far messier, and certainly much more strange, than fiction.

Each week throughout the month of July, Netflix will drop a new documentary under its Trainwreck banner that dives into a different fiasco, from fashion scandal to the absurdity of moms doubling as private investigators. There are so many Trainwreck docuseries on the way, in fact, that one YouTube commenter recently joked that there will eventually have to be a one called "Trainwreck: How Netflix got addicted to Trainwrecking."

Five new Netflix Trainwreck docuseries coming in July

In all seriousness, though: For anyone who's never checked one out, Netflix’s Trainwreck docs generally unpack all kinds of modern disasters and media-fueled meltdowns through a mix of archival footage, interviews, and wild revelations from participants. They basically dive into all the chaos behind the headlines, and in this post we're going to share a quick peek at what’s coming in July.

Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel (coming July 1): Readers of a certain age won't need any reminding of this first point, but it’s hard to overstate how big American Apparel once was.

In the mid-2000s, the fashion retail brand became synonymous with sexually suggestive ad campaigns. Behind the scenes, though, things weren't as rosy as they seemed. Directed by Sally Rose Griffiths, this doc follows the company’s rise and its eventual crash through the eyes of employees who witnessed the chaos. At the center of it all was founder Dov Charney, an envelope-pushing CEO who was portrayed as a sort of cult icon in the media -- championing free expression and sexual liberation, but also accused by former employees of crossing ethical lines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrOY-uESKoo

Trainwreck: The Real Project X (coming July 8): Next up, remember Project X, the wild 2012 party movie? Well, life imitated art in the Dutch town of Haren when a teenager accidentally made her birthday party public on Facebook. Directed by Alex Wood, this Netflix Trainwreck release chronicles how a simple online invite exploded into a full-blown riot, as thousands of teens descended on the town with no plan, no music, and definitely no adults in charge.

Chaos ensued, property was destroyed, and the small town was left picking up the pieces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNHZZNo3bBA

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy (coming July 15): I’m sure many of you still remember this next story that I can still hardly believe actually happened: In 2009, a father claimed his son had floated away in a homemade balloon. The story (no surprise) went viral, with helicopters tracking the balloon live on national TV and emergency crews preparing for the worst. "A homemade flying saucer lifts off, and a 6-year-old boy might be inside," the official Netflix summary teases. "National panic ensues -- but what truly happened? This documentary investigates."

Long story short, when the balloon actually landed... there was no boy inside. Directed by Gillian Pachter, this documentary revisits the moment America realized it had been duped, and then explores the intense backlash that followed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFzy3qlkIAM

As for these final two Netflix Trainwreck docs, all we have are the details in these blurbs at the moment -- no trailers yet. But here's a quick rundown of the last two that are dropping in July:

Trainwreck: P.I. Moms (coming July 22): This one introduces viewers to a TV program that was supposed to be a feel-good reality show about moms moonlighting as private investigators. But behind the scenes of this 2010 Lifetime project, nothing was as it seemed. The show’s investigations were collapsing, accusations started flying, and suddenly there were whispers of (checks notes) a secret drug ring involving a cop and the show’s star.

"The moms’ investigations keep falling apart, leading to allegations of sabotage," Netflix's official summary explains. "At the same time, a mysterious informant accuses the agency’s boss of running an illegal drug operation on the side, abetted by a corrupt cop." Directed by Phil Bowman, this is the strange story of how a would-be hit series turned into a full-blown criminal mess.

Trainwreck: Storm Area 51 (coming on July 29): This final Netflix Trainwreck title takes us back to what began as a joke on Facebook, one that somehow turned into a full-blown cultural event. “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” was posted by a 20-year-old who never meant for anyone to take it seriously. But millions did. UFO believers, meme-makers, and the just-plain-curious flocked to the Nevada desert, prompting responses from federal agencies and international media.

Directed by Jack MacInnes, this film captures one of the many times when the weirdness of the internet spilled over into real life.

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