United 93

Paul Greengrass, 2006 (9.1*)
This is a perfectly harrowing account of the one hijacked airliner on 9/11 that did not have a chance to reach it's target due to the heroic actions of some of its passengers, instead crashing into the Pennsylvania countryside. Director Paul Greengrass keeps the viewer absolutely riveted, even though we all know the results beforehand. This is done with expert editing and constant shifting from the situation being monitored on the ground by air traffic controllers, the U.S. defense system at NORAD, who were awaiting orders from an absent President Bush, and the frightening events within the aircraft itself.

The viewer can actually see a trilogy of films that presents the day's events in chronological order. The Hamburg Cell traces the origins of the hijackers, then United 93 takes us along for the ride with one group on that doomed airliner, then Oliver Stone's World Trade Center puts us inside one of the two buildings with some of the firefighters who survived the building's collapse from the inside. Of the three films, United 93 is the most riveting and the most finely crafted.

This is currently ranked #686 on our Top Ranked 1000 Films on the Internet, and #67 for films of this decade. In my opinion, it should be ranked higher and will likely climb in the polls as it reaches more viewers.