United 93
Composite Score: 86.03
Starring: J.J. Johnson, Gary Commock, Polly Adams, Khalid Abdalla, Lewis Alsamari, Christian Clemenson, Cheyenne Jackson, David Alan Basche, Ben Sliney, Patrick St. Esprit, and Gregg Henry
Director: Paul Greengrass
Writer: Paul Greengrass
Genres: Action, Drama, History, Thriller
MPAA Rating: R for language and some intense sequences of terror and violence
Box Office: $76.70 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
United 93 is Paul Greengrass’s film inspired by the story of United Airlines Flight 93 and the events of September 11, 2001. The film depicts a dramatized version of events surrounding the terrorist attacks on that day, portraying the events that unfolded in the Eastern Air Defense Sector, the various air traffic control hubs, United 93 itself, and at the FAA headquarters, focusing on the confusion, attempts at response, surprise, and heroism of those involved. The film received huge critical acclaim for its honorable but honest depiction of the day’s events and for the justice that it does to the victims on flight 93. It also received Oscar nominations for Best Film Editing and Best Director.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
On some level, any film made about 9/11 is going to be a propaganda piece in some way shape or form, but for United 93, it feels almost as though it was the intent of the film to rekindle support for the American conflicts and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Whether you look at the film’s original closing title card (now changed to honor the memory of those lost on the flight), which simply stated, “America’s War on Terror had begun,” or at the film’s honest, but strikingly juxtaposed, portrayal of the hijackers, it seems fairly clear that this is not a film that wants to “both sides” the war on terror or to walk back any of the violence enacted by the US government in the years since 9/11. It’d be almost forgivable or overlookable had the film not released in the contentious midterm election year of 2006, which feels a bit too on-the-nose for it to have been unintentional.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
To its credit, United 93 is one of the most well-executed films I’ve ever seen in terms of accomplishing its director’s vision. By casting fairly unknown actors alongside actual participants in the day’s events and real-world flight attendants and pilots, the film immediately takes on that feeling of realism that inserts the audience right in alongside the characters on the screen. You never really get a moment where you suddenly ask yourself, “Wait, where else do I know this person from?”, and that allows you to remain fully present with everything going on onscreen. At the same time, most of the film’s cinematography feels like you’re right up in the mix with everyone on the screen thanks to the use of handheld cameras that move and shake with the movements of the plane or the people. In its entirety, the film refuses to let you get away from the feeling of inevitability, helplessness, hope, and outrage that it wants to convey. It doesn't let you soon forget what you’ve seen unfold, thereby keeping the memory of the passengers and crew of flight 93 fresh in the minds of the audience, honoring their sacrifice and the lives lost in the September 11th attacks.
United 93 offers an impressive look at a director bringing the fullness of a vision to life, enmeshing the audience within the events of September 11th and doing honor to those on the titular flight in the process, earning the film a spot among the greats. Its treatment of the hijackers and other propagandistic pieces hold it back from achieving the fullness of what a 9/11 commemorative film could be, seemingly trying to antagonize the audience into a renewed sense of outrage rather than tempering their spirit with a reminder of the humanity in even the most inhumane, but it’s still a solidly put-together film. Currently, you can rent this film on most streaming platforms if you’d like to check it out.
