A highly-anticipated Netflix documentary on late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s chaotic tenure has been released, and people are buzzing about it online.
The streaming giant dropped “Mayor of Mayhem” on Thursday, its latest installation of its anthology series Trainwreck. The 49-minute documentary delves into Ford’s time as mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014, which was marked by scandal, substance abuse, and a defiant public persona. Directed by Shianne Brown, it showcases first-hand accounts from reporters, politicians and close affiliates of Ford on the impact he had in the city within just four years as the Chief Magistrate.
The documentary brought viewers back to 2009, where the city was facing a crisis due to the intensifying garbage strike. After serving three terms as a councillor for Ward 2 Etobicoke North, Ford threw his hat into the ring and quickly won over the hearts of many Torontonians who were either tired of the messy state of the city or willing to put their trust in the controversial yet jovial councilman.
In 2010, Ford was declared mayor, and had a stellar year in office. In that short time, he privatized waste removal to the west of Yonge Street, declared the TTC an essential service, and the city did not see any increases to property taxes. All seemed well, until scandal soon followed.
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The documentary highlights controversies such as his 2012 conflict of interest trial that nearly caused him to be removed from office, an apparent drunken appearance at a military ball in 2013 where he was reportedly asked to leave (this was one of many times the then-mayor had seemed to be publicly intoxicated), and his crude comment addressing allegations of engaging in oral sex with a city staffer, which was broadcast on live television.
But of course, the biggest story that came out of his tenure would be none other than Ford’s crack cocaine scandal, which he had repeatedly denied using before eventually admitting it to be true after several videos had come to light.
Netflix will be airing a documentary episode on former mayor Rob Ford's past scandals next month and many Torontonians say they’re eager to see how the story will be depicted.
— Now Toronto (@nowtoronto) May 9, 2025
Will you be tuning in? 👀 #Trainwreck #RobFord https://t.co/WuOvpLBFhW pic.twitter.com/1QQQxcWSxH
The aftermath of Ford’s scandals transcended Canadian borders, capturing international attention and sparking widespread media coverage on American late-night talk shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live. Reporters also suggested that the tumultuous political era led to Ford casting doubt and mistrust towards the media in the minds of the general public, almost reminiscent to the way U.S. Donald Trump had repeatedly blasted mainstream media for being “fake news” during his election campaign.
After his time was up in office, Ford attempted to run again in 2014 but was diagnosed with cancer and withdrew his candidacy. He died in 2016 at the age of 46.
On Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Rob’s older brother, said he would not be watching the Netflix documentary, ultimately calling it “disgusting.”
“Leave the guy alone. Let him rest in peace,” he said to reporters. “They want the truth, talk to the real people that absolutely loved him.”
Meanwhile, viewers who tapped into the documentary seemed to generally enjoy the Netflix special.
“Humorous but disappointingly surface level. Not *nearly* as in depth as I was hoping it would be,” one X user said.
Another user on the platform said the documentary was more empathetic than they expected.
“Rob Ford was very funny. He was a liar. He was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and had no business being mayor. He did Trump, b4 Trump did Trump,” another person wrote on X. “And yet…hard to hate. Worth a watch.”
People also thought the story was a fair representation of Ford’s time as mayor.
“Just finished watching it. Wasn’t too bad. Humanized his whole journey,” a Reddit user said.
“I think it was pretty fair to Rob… IMO painted him as a guy who’s heart was into serving the public, even if his demons had the wheel a good amount of time” another user wrote.
“It was truthful and seemed like everyone in the short film was there to respectfully retell a crazy story,” another said on the platform.
