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Movies & TV

11th Sep 2021

Seven must-see 9/11 movies and documentaries to watch right now

Eva-Rose Price

9/11 documentaries

A selection of riveting, insightful and often harrowing material about one of the most infamous days in world history.

11 September, 2001 started off as any other Tuesday in New York City with the buzz of workers about to get their day started.

Chaos ensued when the twin towers of the World Trade Center were hit by two commercial airliners in one of the largest-scale and most infamous terrorist attacks the world has ever witnessed.

In the 20 years since, the incident has been the subject of multiple movies, documentaries and TV series, many of which are well worth watching and are available on the various streaming services available in Ireland.

Below are seven that caught our eye…

Turning Point 9/11 and The War On Terror (Netflix)

Clip via Netflix

A thought-provoking five-part documentary filled with interviews and archival records that describe the chaos that unfolded during the 9/11 attacks and how it led to the War on Terror and the subsequent conflict in Afghanistan.

The interviewees include survivors of the attacks, former White House staff, CIA agents and military veterans from both sides of the war in Afghanistan.

World Trade Center (Netflix)

A re-enactment of the events of 9/11 starring Nicolas Cage sees an army of committed rescuers attempt to find survivors amongst the wreckage at the World Trade Center.

Clip via Movieclips Classic Trailers

Worth (Netflix)

In a drama currently proving very popular on Netflix, Michael Keaton plays Kenneth Feinberg, who was given the unfortunate job of deciding the compensation for the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Clip via Netflix

9/11: Phone Calls From the Towers (Amazon Prime Video)

A powerful documentary about the phone calls made to loved ones from the twin towers when they knew time was ticking away is chilling and devastating all at once.

The Last Secrets of 9/11 (Amazon Prime Video)

This documentary follows forensic scientists in the process of identifying bodies and finally bringing closure to the families of some of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Shock and Awe (Amazon Prime Video)

A look at the events in the wake of 9/11 rather than the day itself, this political thriller follows journalists covering George Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, James Marsden and Jessica Biel star.

Clip via Movieclips Trailers

9/11 Firehouse (Disney+)

A gripping story of the sacrifice of the firefighters based at Ten House, the firehouse beside the World Trade Centre.

They were the first ones on site and the last ones to leave. Their story is told through interviews and archival footage.

Clip via Discovery