A quarter of a century after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the images of the Twin Towers continue to form part of the collective memory of the United States. But film and television also helped tell less-known stories: the passengers of Flight 93, the rescuers trapped under the rubble, the families of the victims and the political and military transformation that followed the attacks.
On the 25th anniversary, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), the U.S. public television network, even produced a special selection of documentaries and podcasts to understand both that day and its consequences.
These are some of the best productions to see in the United States.
Probably one of the most intense films made about the 11-S. Directed by Paul Greengrass, it reconstructs the last hours of United Flight 93, whose passengers faced the hijackers before the plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
The film avoids much of the conventions of action film and seeks to reproduce the confusion and tension of that morning almost in real time.
For those who want to understand what happened that day hour by hour, this National Geographic documentary series is one of the best choices. Its six episodes reconstruct the attacks from the impact of the first aircraft to the last rescue among the debris, using testimonies of survivors, firefighters, police and witnesses.
This is one of the big news of the 25th anniversary. The documentary, released by Netflix in September 2026, looks at September 11 from a different perspective: that of a generation that grew up marked by the attacks even though many were children or had not yet been born.
It includes stories of children of victims and analyzes how the United States changed, its wars, government surveillance and relationship with Muslim communities after 2001.
No need for narrative or reconstruction. The documentary shows the 102 minutes between the impact of the first plane and the collapse of the second tower using videos recorded by people who were in New York.
The result is especially shocking because it allows you to observe the event almost exclusively from the perspective of those who experienced it.
Oliver Stone brought to the cinema in 2006 the real story of two Port Authority policemen who were trapped under the remains of the World Trade Center.
With Nicolas Cage and Michael Peña, the film focuses less on those responsible for the attack and more on rescues, families and the hours after the crash.
One of the most interesting films to understand what happened after September 11th, Michael Keaton plays lawyer Kenneth Feinberg, in charge of the Compensation Fund for the Victims of September 11.
His task raises an uncomfortable question that goes through the whole film: how can an economic value be assigned to a human life?
The production also features Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan and is based on real events.
This five-episode documentary series expands the focus much further.
It starts with Al Qaeda’s roots and intelligence errors before the attack, but continues with the war in Afghanistan, interrogations, surveillance and political decisions that marked the next two decades.
It’s a good option for anyone who wants to understand why the impact of the 11-S was far beyond New York.
Unlike the previous ones, this is a dramatic series. Based on the Pulitzer-winning book by Lawrence Wright, it reconstructs the rise of Al Qaeda during the years prior to the 11-S and the rivalry between the CIA and the FBI, which hindered the exchange of information about the threat.
It is starred by Jeff Daniels and Tahar Rahim and has ten episodes.
It does not directly reconstruct the attacks, but one of its great subsequent chapters: the search for Osama bin Laden.
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Jessica Chastain, the film follows for a decade the intelligence operation that ended with the death of Al Qaeda leader in Pakistan in 2011.
The film also generated controversy for its representation of the interrogations and practices used during the so-called war on terrorism.
If only three productions were to be chosen, it would start with 9/11: One Day in America to reconstruct the day of the attacks, United 93 to approach one of its most dramatic stories and Turning Point: Generation 9/11 to understand how that morning still impacts the United States 25 years later.
Streaming platforms change their catalogues frequently, so availability may vary after September 11, 2026.
More information on PBS.
