L.A. Times Picks 9 Films Capturing 9/11 Trauma 25 Years Later
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Sep 11
L.A. Times Picks 9 Films Capturing 9/11 Trauma 25 Years Later
2 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Sep 11
Summary
Nine films — from “Donnie Darko” and “25th Hour” to “Zero Dark Thirty” — make the L.A. Times’ list of movies that best reflect the mood and trauma of 9/11 a quarter-century later.
The selection argues that the attacks’ cinematic legacy lives less in literal reenactments than in oblique dramas that convey lingering anxiety, guilt, vengeance and moral unease.
Several entries confront the event directly, including “25th Hour,” “United 93” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” while others such as “The Dark Knight,” “Munich” and “The Hurt Locker” channel post-9/11 fears through terrorism, surveillance and war.
The list also highlights films haunted by the Twin Towers’ absence — notably “Man on Wire” and “Margaret” — framing them as records of how New York and American culture absorbed trauma long after 2001.