Monday will mark the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Numerous films have been based on or depicted the September 11 attacks that occurred in 2001.
Tragedy and art, however, are no strangers, and in the years since the catastrophe, creators have used media to bring to the fore stories of suffering, loss, and healing to audiences.
Today we’re recommending five movies about 9/11 and its consequences. Let’s have a look:
1) My Name Is Khan (2010)
My Name is Khan is an Indian movie that stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in lead roles.
The film narrates a fictional story where Rizwan Khan (Khan), an autistic Muslim, sets out on a journey across the United States to meet the President after Mandira Rathod (Kajol), his Hindu wife, suffers from Islamophobic discrimination after the September 11 attacks.
Highlighting the discrimination experienced by American Muslims in the aftermath of 9/11, My Name is Khan is a heart-rending story.
2) New York (2009)
Another Bollywood movie based on the aftermath of the unfortunate event. This film follows Omar Aijaz (Neil Nitin Mukesh), who is taken into custody by the FBI in 2009 and forced to spy on his former college friend, Sameer Sheikh (John Abraham).
The authorities believe him to be a terrorist but have no proof to verify their suspicions. Omar agrees and rekindles his friendship with Sameer and his wife, Maya (Katrina Kaif), determined to prove these allegations false.
Unfortunately, it is revealed that Sameer was wrongfully detained for nine months post-9/11 and tortured mercilessly—an act that made him resort to terrorism to exact revenge.
3) Worth (2020)
Worth tells the story of attorney Kenneth Feinberg who administered the 9-11 Victim Compensation Fund. It’s based on Feinberg’s 2005 book “What is Life Worth.”
A big-shot lawyer faces a monumental challenge in the wake of the 9/11 disaster after he’s assigned to negotiate monetary compensation for the victims’ families.
He initially proposes a formula based on economic value lost, which is met with harsh critique. As he listens to the accounts of those affected by the tragedy, he introspects a just way to put a worth on human life.
The film is inspired by true events and stars Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan, among others.
4) The Report (2019)
The plot follows staffer Daniel Jones and the Senate Intelligence Committee as they investigate the Central Intelligence Agency’s use of torture following the September 11th attacks. It covers more than a decade’s worth of real-life political intrigue, exploring and compacting Jones’s 6,700-page report.
The film is based on factual events and takes inspiration from Jones’s original 6,700-page report on the subject.
5) World Trade Center (2006)
World Trade Center is a docudrama disaster film based on the experience of a few police officers during the September 11 attacks, in which they were trapped in the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center.
It stars Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stephen Dorff, and Michael Shannon.
