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Cinemablend
Entertainment
Philip Sledge

After MH370: The Plane That Disappeared: 7 Other Documentaries And Specials About Malaysian Flight 370

A researcher looking over documents in MH370: The Plane That Disappeared

Ever since its launch in March, the 2023 Netflix TV show, MH370: The Plane That Disappeared has been one of the streaming platform’s most popular original titles. The three-part docuseries breaking down the mysterious vanishing of a Boeing 777 commercial jet over the Indian Ocean has captivated audiences as much as the strange happening has confounded the families of the passengers and crew, the reporters covering the mystery, and the avionics experts in the nearly 10 years since its disappearance.

But, those who’ve watched one of the most perplexing Netflix new releases, don’t have to stop their exploration after completing the series, as there are several other documentaries and specials that dive into the vanishing of Malaysian Flight 370, as well as the search for answers, and even its wreckage. Here are some of the better options available to stream right now. 

(Image credit: Journeyman Pictures)

Lost: MH370 (2014)

One of the first documentaries to come out following the March 8 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Lost: MH370 covers a lot in its brief 43-minute runtime. Caro Meldrum-Hanna’s investigative documentary’s main goal is to find out what could have happened to the plane and its occupants, including where it may have gone down, as well as how the tragedy could have been avoided entirely.

The documentary features forensic reconstructions of before, during, and after the flight, while also posing questions for the authorities in charge of finding the missing commercial jet and the 239 souls who went down with it. Though not as complete as MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (one episode opposed to three), Lost: MH370 is rather thorough.

Stream Lost: MH370 on Prime Video.

(Image credit: History Channel)

MH370: Mystery Of The Lost Flight (2022) 

The 2022 History Channel documentary special, MH370: Mystery of the Lost Flight, covers a lot of the same ground as MH370: The Plane That Disappeared in that it pieces together the series of events that led to the March 2014 vanishing, as well as the years of searching that have turned up nothing in terms of clues, answers, or the bodies of the missing passengers and crew.

The documentary also takes a look at the various theories that have come up over the course of the past decade, some of which may never be proven true or false. Clocking it at just over 80 minutes, this made-for-TV documentary does provide great insight into the events and their aftermath.

Stream MH370: Mystery of the Lost Flight on Hoopla.

(Image credit: National Geographic Channel)

Drain The Oceans: Malaysian Flight 370 (2018)

The National Geographic Channel original series, Drain the Oceans, provides for one of the more unique documentaries about the missing plane in the 2018 episode titled, “Malaysian Flight 370.” While other documentaries and specials on this list focus on sequences of events preceding and following the mysterious disappearance, Drain the Oceans makes use of hyper-advanced technology to try and figure out where the plane is located.

On top of that, the episode, which is available for anyone with a Disney+ subscription, provides a detailed 3D recreation of the potential resting spot in the Indian Ocean, which adds an interesting dynamic to the investigation. 

Stream Drain The Oceans: Malaysian Flight 370 on Disney+.

(Image credit: 60 Minutes: Australia)

MH370: The Situation Room - What Really Happened To The Missing Boeing 777 (2018)

Released in May 2018, a little more than four years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in the middle of the night, 60 Minutes Australia came out with an in-depth report on the vanishing and just about everything surrounding the mysterious avionics disaster. With panel discussions, a breakdown of the timeline, and even a simulation with a trained pilot behind the yoke, the news special attempts to answer various questions.

Though less cinematic in its presentation, MH370: The Situation Room - What Really Happened to the Missing Boeing 777 is just as engaging as the Netflix documentary based on the head-scratching case. 

Stream MH370: The Situation Room - What Really Happened to the Missing Boeing 777 on YouTube.

(Image credit: History)

The UnXplained: Bizarre Vanishings (2021)

Hosted by Star Trek icon William Shatner, documentary series The UnXplained has long explored the strangest of happenings on the planet, whether it’s focusing on extreme weather mysteries or people that appeared to have vanished in thin air. That latter is the subject of the 2021 episode titled “Bizarre Vanishings,” which spends part of its 41-minute runtime focusing on Flight MH370.

Though not as long or in-depth as MH370: The Plane That Disappeared, or other documentaries and specials on this list, The UnXplained is great in the sense that it provides you with just enough information to understand the case while also leaving you wanting more.

Stream The UnXplained: Bizarre Vanishings on Discovery+.

(Image credit: The Science Channel)

Mysteries Of The Missing: Hunt For Flight MH370 (2017) 

The Science Channel documentary series, Mysteries of the Missing, which is hosted by Lost vet Terry O’Quinn, is another documentary series that dives head-first into some of history’s most bizarre cases. This includes a 2017 episode titled “Hunt for Flight MH370,” which, as the name suggests, spends about 45 minutes exploring all sorts of theories surrounding the ill-fated commercial flight.

The episode, which is a great reminder of how much the docuseries format has evolved over the past half-decade, doesn’t offer a lot in terms of answers, but what it does do is provide some stellar footage of the various search operations and information on the wreckage that has supposedly been found over the years.

Stream Mysteries Of The Missing: Hunt For Flight MH370 on Discovery+.

(Image credit: Science Channel)

What On Earth?: Did We Find Flight 370? (2016) 

And last but not least is an episode of the Science Channel original docuseries What on Earth? titled “Did We Find Flight 370?” that further explores the perplexing and troubling disappearance. Throughout the portion of the episode focusing on the missing flight, satellite images of the potential crash site are examined with a fine-tooth comb in hopes of providing some answers to what happened in March 2014.

Though brief, the MH370 segment of the 2016 episode does provide some key information about the search operation that was already in its second year of operation at the time of its release.

Stream What On Earth?: Did We Find Flight 370? on Discovery+.

We may never really know what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, but at least we have a seemingly never-ending series of documentaries and specials looking into the mysterious vanishing. And, if you’re looking for more great documentaries, a Netflix subscription is going to serve you well.

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