Kennedy Documentary Revisits Boeing Whistleblower's Death and Ongoing Safety Concerns

Rory Kennedy, the youngest child of the late Robert F. Kennedy, has produced a follow-up documentary called “Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing,” which debuted on Netflix on August 19. The film examines the circumstances surrounding the March 2024 death of John Barnett, a former Boeing quality manager who had been a key whistleblower on safety violations. Interviews with ex-employees allege that Boeing’s focus on profit has continued to compromise safety, and families of the 346 victims of the two 737 MAX crashes express anger at a $1.1 billion non-prosecution deal that avoided criminal convictions. The documentary also revisits the company’s outsourcing practices and labor shifts under former CEOs, and Kennedy states her goal is to encourage the public to demand higher safety standards and consider alternatives to Boeing aircraft.