Netflix MH370 Series: Criticism Intensifies

Criticism of the Netflix MH370 show has intensified across the globe as the huge flaws in the various conspiracy theories come under closer scrutiny.

In a damming article on the Netflix MH370 series in The Times famous wreck hunter David Mearns (above), a British-resident US marine scientist is quoted via Twitter expressing his disappointment.

The series is “dominated by Jeff Wise and Florence de Changy, ridiculous and unsupported
conspiracy theories” he wrote.

He added “Inmarsat is real, Blaine Gibson is real, the plane is in the southern Indian Ocean. Resume the underwater search.”

David Mearns is one the world's leading shipwreck hunters and has found HMS Hood, RMS Bismark, HMAS Sydney and the German raider Kormoran and was part of the team that found the world's largest battleship the Japanese Musashi.

He also holds five Guinness World Records including finding the German Rio Grande, which was located at a depth of 5,762 metres (18,904 ft).

Even the series director Louise Malkinson has admitted that “it’s (MH370) most likely that the plane is in the southern Indian Ocean.”

The Times article criticises the series saying: "While devoting two of the three episodes to the conspiracy theories, the series offers only brief rebuttals. Australian search officials are outraged by the claims. Mike Exner, a member of a watchdog panel of aviation experts, called the claims a distraction. “I’m just reluctant to talk about Florence or Jeff or these conspiracy advocates,” he said. “These are people that don’t really understand the facts and the data.”

Another article critical of the series is from Big Think which headlines its piece saying: What happened to Flight MH370? Don’t believe what Netflix’s documentary tells you.

The author Alex Berezow starts by saying: "Unless it’s on National Geographic, I am deeply sceptical of documentaries. It seems that many films that label themselves as such are primarily about presenting a polished, highly persuasive narrative — but whether that narrative is true is of secondary importance. Depending on the topic, a documentary that chooses to have a casual relationship with the truth can range from mostly benign entertainment (like Animal Planet’s Mermaids) to nefarious propaganda (like Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11). Unfortunately, Netflix’s new documentary, MH370: The Plane that Disappeared, is more akin to the latter."

Alex's piece is a great read that clearly outlines the many failings of the Netflix series and you can read it all here.

He finishes by saying: "Video is a powerful medium. People believe what they see, particularly if it’s tied together with a convincing story. It’s why dictators the world over make sure that they control the TV news. But instead of giving the 239 suffering families and the public at large a true story, Netflix exploited the pain caused by a horrifying tragedy to push lies and conspiracies to boost its viewership. Shame on them."

YES, shame on you Netflix for putting the relatives through bizarre and totally unsupported stories which, at best, are fantasies.