7 best films about the 9/11 attacks.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011).

An estimated 3,000 children lost their parents in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, forever changing their lives.

Based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close tells the story of one of those children. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) and his father, Thomas (Tom Hanks), have a very close relationship. Thomas often organizes treasure hunts to push Oskar out of his comfort zone by requiring him to explore New York and interact with people.

A year after Thomas's death in the World Trade Center collapse, Oskar finds a key in his father's locker. Oskar begins to explore the key's significance to his father, and in doing so, he finds peace after his father's death.

You can watch Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, or YouTube.

Reign Over Me (2004).

Thousands of Americans lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks. How do you cope with that loss? In Reign Over Me, director Mike Binder explores this question through the story of Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler).

Charlie's life crumbles when his wife and three daughters die in the World Trade Center collapse. Five years later, he reunites with Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle), his former roommate from dental school. Alan is shocked to see how much Charlie has changed. From a friendly and outgoing person, Charlie has become withdrawn and disheveled. Alan tries to mend their friendship and help Charlie return to a normal life.

Conversely, Charlie helps Alan see the joy and meaning he had overlooked in his life and relationships. The film, starring Jada Pinkett Smith and Liv Tyler, shows the value of genuine friendship during dark times.

You can watch Reign Over Me on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.

The Report (2019).

Following the 9/11 attacks, the George W. Bush administration used "enhanced interrogation techniques" to extract information from actual or suspected terrorists. After news leaked that the CIA had destroyed videotapes investigating high-ranking al-Qaeda terrorists to cover up instances of torture, the Senate Intelligence Committee launched an investigation.

The Report tells the story of that effort, culminating in 2014 with a 6,700-page report, much of which remains classified. Senate staffer Daniel Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by Senator Diane Feinstein (Annette Benning) with investigating the destruction of interrogation videos. He discovers that the CIA misrepresented its methods, the number of prisoners tortured, and the quality of the information obtained.

But not everyone wants the Senate to fulfill its oversight role. Driver and Benning, along with Jon Hamm, Ted Levine, and Corey Stoll, have elevated this procedural film into a compelling look at recent human rights abuses in the United States.

You can watch The Report on Amazon Prime.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012).

What happens when the world collides and what we want and what we already have conflict? Based on the novel by Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist tells the story of Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed), a Pakistani immigrant living in the United States.

After graduating from Princeton, he seemed to have it all. He worked for a major Wall Street firm, was a favorite of his boss, and was dating a beautiful photographer (Kate Hudson). However, his life in America changed abruptly after 9/11. He was suddenly viewed with anger and suspicion. He returned to his hometown in Lahore, Pakistan, where he quickly became involved with a CIA agent (Liv Schreiber) who was searching for a kidnapped American university professor.

Director Mira Nair focuses on the different paths that Khan's life takes him—from his yearning to pursue a career in America, his commitment to his family in Pakistan, and his conflicting views on the United States and American foreign policy. You can watch The Reluctant Fundamentalist on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.

Worth (2020).

How much is a life worth? Attorney Kenneth Feinberg of Washington, D.C., was tasked with answering that question for each of the nearly three thousand people who died in the 9/11 attacks.

Two months after the attacks, he was appointed special administrator of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Director Sara Colangelo tells the story of how Feinberg spent nearly three years working with the victims' families to distribute over $7 billion. Many families disagreed with the decisions he made and how he communicated them. Michael Keaton plays Feinberg, while Stanley Tucci plays Charles Wolf, whose wife died in the World Trade Center and who led the opposition to Feinberg. "There are some artistic licenses that they show in the film," said the real-life Feinberg, and journalists were quick to point out where fact gave way to fiction. But even Wolf agreed that the film was honest in its portrayal of a man who changed and matured as he came to understand the profound pain of the victims' families.

You can watch Worth on Netflix.

United 93 (2006).

The 9/11 terrorists hijacked four airplanes. Three of them crashed to their targets. The fourth, United Flight 93, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers bravely fought to regain control.

In United 93, director Paul Greenglass recreates the story of the ill-fated flight in real time, using information from the flight path, communications with air traffic control, calls from passengers to their loved ones, and interviews with the families of the crew and passengers.

Greenglass refused to use big Hollywood stars and opted for lesser-known actors. Even the crew was played by real pilots and flight attendants. No one knows for sure what target the terrorists intended to attack with United Flight 93, although many experts suspect it was the U.S. Capitol Building. What we do know is that the plane was only twenty minutes from Washington, D.C., when it crashed. You can watch United 93 on Amazon Prime, Hulu, or Peacock.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012).

In Zero Dark Thirty—military slang for the hours before dawn—Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow tells the story of Maya, a steadfast CIA agent who helped execute the SEAL Team Six raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.

Maya is a composite character based on several CIA agents who helped hunt down Bin Laden. The film's creative process wasn't the only thing that sparked controversy upon its release. Critics criticized the film's initial release date just before the 2012 presidential election, Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal's collaboration with the CIA in planning the film, and its portrayal of "effective" forms of torture. (Senator Feinstein walked out of a screening protesting a waterboarding scene.)

These controversies did not prevent Zero Dark Thirty from being nominated for Best Picture, and Jessica Chastain also received a nomination for Best Actress for her role as Maya. You can watch Zero Dark Thirty on Amazon Prime, Google Play, or YouTube.