Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing

Boeing, in a very unspecific postscript to Ms. Kennedy’s evisceration, denies many of the accusations made during this Netflix documentary, which include an allegedly years-long neglect of quality control, a policy of ignoring safety problems and a persecution of whistleblowers.

“Freefall” doesn’t so much cover new ground as sum up a long but quick slide that many American industries experienced thanks to this stock price/cost cutting obsession. But it does give one fresh reasons to ask what plane your next flight will be using, and shopping around when you don’t like the answer.

While some of it feels like retelling a story already disturbingly detailed in the very good “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” in 2022, Rory Kennedy’s follow-up, “Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing,” contains more than enough righteous fury to justify your attention.

“Freefall” takes its cues from several Boeing whistle-blowers whose jobs involved maintaining quality; they describe instances in which they say superiors and reporting systems ignored or discouraged the raising of concerns.