Trainwreck: Balloon Boy
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| Trainwreck: Balloon Boy | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gillian Pachter |
| Produced by | Cheryl Hockey |
| Starring | Richard Heene |
| Cinematography | Ryan Earl Parker |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
|
Running time | 52 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is a 2025 American documentary film directed by Gillian Pachter. It premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2025, as part of the Trainwreck series.[1]
The film documents the 2009 "Balloon Boy" incident in Fort Collins, Colorado, when Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed that their six-year-old son Falcon had floated away in Richard's homemade helium balloon.[2][3] The event sparked a nationwide panic and live international news coverage before Falcon was found safe at home, hiding in the attic.[4][5]
Synopsis
The documentary reexamines the case sixteen years later through new interviews with the Heene family, journalists and investigators.[6][7][8] The Heenes continue to maintain their innocence, arguing the event was misunderstood and not a publicity stunt, while others in the film argue that the Heenes only did it for viral fame.[9][10] By August 2025, the documentary received 7 million views.[11]