Directed by:
Paul GreengrassScreenplay:
Paul GreengrassCinematography:
Barry AckroydComposer:
John PowellCast:
Cheyenne Jackson, Khalid Abdalla, Lewis Alsamari, Trish Gates, Omar Berdouni, Jamie Harding, Gregg Henry, Ben Sliney, John Rothman, Corey Johnson (more)Plots(1)
A drama that tells the story of the passengers and crew, their families on the ground and the flight controllers who watched in dawning horror as United Airlines Flight 93 became the fourth hijacked plane on the day of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil: September 11, 2001. 'United 93' recreates the doomed trip in actual time, from takeoff to hijacking to the realization by those onboard that their plane was part of a coordinated attack unfolding on the ground beneath them. The film attempts to understand the abject fear and courageous decisions of those who--over the course of just 90 minutes--transformed from a random assembly of disconnected strangers into bonded allies who confronted an unthinkable situation. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (14)
During the film I was convinced of a final four-star rating (the confusion in the control centre was wonderfully directed, but wasn’t that much fun), but the last half hour is something so incredibly and brilliantly impressive that I’m giving it five stars without any remorse. I’ve never seen a stronger “historical” film. 93%
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Today it’s five years since “it" happened, but right now I feel like I just experienced it again. Just like being there. I don’t think I ever saw a more real-life movie. Greengrass captured the events of 9/11 brilliantly, at the same time erecting a movie memorial to all victims of those attacks. Powell’s music just goes to augment the whole situation and instills a storm of emotions inside you which you might not find pleasant at all.
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In a way, it is a second Schindler's List. It is equally artistically precise, with thematic weight added. These two aspects together form a unique work that certainly deserves nothing less than full appreciation. Paul Greengrass is able to create incredible authenticity with a smart use of handheld camera, aided by excellently chosen (completely unknown) actors. The tension escalates, the situation intensifies, and the viewer is left astounded in a truly unprecedented way. One of the most suggestive, rawest, and definitely best films of the year, which won't win an Oscar simply because it feels too unlike a movie throughout its entire running time.
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When I looked at the ratings and comments of my favorite users, they reminded me of the impressions of the attendees of the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, who paid tribute to Stalin. United 93 has a reputation as an outstanding film, and I often come across comments where it is considered as a kind of benchmark against which the (im)perfection of other films is measured. At the very least, you can encounter the claim that it is the absolute peak of Greengrass's work so far, which other pieces from his workshop can only look at from a great distance. I'm afraid that historical events are receiving a five-star treatment here, not their artistic reflection. When footage of the burning Twin Towers appeared on television, it shocked the world and there was talk of the Third World War. The events completely deviated from the known world. The idea that someone would hijack a plane full of passengers and intentionally crash it into a skyscraper seemed insane to everyone. And the situation and feelings of the passengers of the last plane, who already knew their fate, were insane as well. Real life brought a more dramatic situation than the wildest action movie screenwriters could have come up with. Greengrass chose the method of documentary reconstruction, but the traditional characteristics of his work, especially the handheld camera and chaotic editing, reached their limits here. In crucial moments, it descends into a completely incomprehensible mix of bodies, jerky movements, and screams, you learn very little about the individual characters, and the film actually just rides the wave of the well-known events, without being able to properly utilize the immense dramatic potential that is readily available. The underrated Green Zone stands significantly higher in my eyes from a cinematic perspective. The shots from the navigation stations are justified, but not to the extent and with the content that Greengrass delivers to us. It's more like three and a half stars, and this time, contrary to my usual habits, I will lean toward a higher rating only out of reverence for the victims of the tragedy. Overall impression: 70%.
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I finished watching the movie 10 minutes ago... My forehead is still furrowed, my head is still spinning, and my heart won't stop pounding. No movie has really cost me that much in nerves. The atmosphere on the plane and on the ground was perfectly captured beyond measure. Plenty of confusion, emotion, and suspense. I know one thing for sure... this movie is unbeatable! It's like the situation hit me all over again.
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