Instantly absorbing and not to be missed.
Given the labyrinth complexity, history and human tragedy that defined the 9/11 attacks, it’s understandable that very few films/TV shows have captured the story in its entirety.
Films like United 93 and World Trade Centre focused on the more intimate and personal stories that occurred during this tragic event. Elsewhere, documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11 were more concerned with highlighting the links between the Bush administration and Al-Qaeda.
This being said, very few features have given the subject matter the length and gravitas that it deserves but it appears that The Looming Tower has rectified that. Since premiering this week on Hulu, the show has arguably become the most critically-acclaimed film/TV show to detail the horrific 9/11 attacks.
At the start of the year, we marked this adaptation of Lawrence Wright’s Pulitzer-prize winning book as ‘one to watch’ and that status appears to be justified.
The ten-episode series traces the rising threat of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda by taking a controversial look at how the rivalry between the CIA and FBI inadvertently might have set the stage for the tragedy of 9/11 and the war in Iraq. It follows members of the I-49 Squad in New York and Alec Station in Washington, D.C., the counter-terrorism divisions of the FBI and CIA, respectively, as they travel the world fighting for ownership of information while seemingly working toward the same goal – trying to prevent an imminent attack on U.S. soil.
The cast in this is superb with Jeff Daniels (Steve Jobs), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet), Michael Stuhlbarg (The Shape of Water),Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead), Bill Camp (The Night Of) all featuring.
In terms of the critical reaction, the response has been glowing as reflected by a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 74% on the more reliable Metacritic.
In terms of its stylistic approach, the show’s mix of tension, lies and subterfuge has been compared to the earlier seasons of Homeland. Good news indeed.
Here’s what the critics made of it:
Baltimore Sun – “… this 10-part docudrama series is not to be missed.”
Slash Film – “The Looming Tower is the first great new TV series of 2018.”
The Washington Post – “… instantly absorbing…”
USA Today – “The sharply written and acted series keeps you hooked, even though you know the story ends horrifically.”
CNN – “This first-class project is still a tale well worth telling.”
Vox – “The Looming Tower, despite its high stakes and its ostensibly true story (though many details have been changed), is a cop show. A really well-done cop show, admittedly, but a cop show. And more power to it.”
Take a look at what’s in store and you can watch it all on Hulu.
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