So well-done, so realistic, so tasteful, so gut-wrenching, so terrifying...it cuts straight to your soul

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2007)

United 93 was one I skipped over last year. Last year I took the view that any film made so close after 9/11 to be distributed wide in theaters that was about 9/11 was absolutely wrong, exploited Americans, and did not deserve my ticket money. But considering the high success United 93 had, the outstanding reviews it gathered, and its popularity at the Academy Awards, I decided to give this movie a chance at Blockbuster tonight.
I had read all over the place before I watched it that it was an extremely emotionally intense film. I am very attracted to these types of films because many times they cut right to the soul of you and make you wonder how lucky you are. I thought I had seen everything filmmakers had to offer in this genre. I was wrong.
From the very first scene, United 93 reaches out to you and brings you back six years ago to re-witness the terror America went through on the fateful day, September 11th, 2001. In a close-to-real-time manner, we are taken through--from start to finish--the morning that America will never forget.
MANY people still refuse to see this movie and others similar to it because they believe it is wrong to make such a film after the tragedy of 9/11. I can say with full confidence that "United 93" is not a piece of B-movie Hollywood over-dramatic crap set on the day of 9/11 to entertain audiences in a summer popcorn movie. United 93 is extremely tastefully done not to provide entertainment for its viewers...but what it does provide is something much more valuable, and that is terror. From the moment you start watching, you are pulled into your TV screen and experience every single gut-wrenching moment along with the passengers on United Flight 93. As if you were one of the passengers on the plane, you experience every ounce of terror, every single moment of fear, and every single bit of hate for the terrorists hijacking the plane. You are no longer wrapped up in a cozy blanket on your couch with your newly installed HD television set you put it into impress your successful neighbour. You're a passenger on Flight 93.
Paul Greengrass delivers an exquisitely directed film (one of the best direction jobs I have seen in my years as a movie critic) and paired with extraordinarily realistic acting performances by everyone in the film. The film is shot similar to a documentary and it truly makes you feel like you are watching rare camera footage that survived the crash instead of a film made in a studio. Everything about the film is so realistic, I'm actually having trouble calling it a "film" in this review.
Of course, United 93 is not for everyone. It is without a doubt the most emotionally powerful film I have ever watched and quite possibly the most terrifying movie I've ever sat through in all my years of seeing extreme horror films. The violence is extremely strong, very disturbing, and shockingly realistic. There are very few scenes free of peril and sometimes the emotional intensity gets so high you want to turn off the movie. But then you think of the people that really were on that plane--they couldn't just turn off the movie. They had to go keep fighting, and that thought alone will keep you watching.
But even so, this is more than a film showing the absolute terror that went on in the cabin of Flight 93. This is a film that shows true American spirit, and you feel compelled to join the brave men and women who attempt to storm the cockpit. You feel compelled to take up a weapon--which is anything you can find on the plane--and join the attempted take-back of the plane. And even though everyone who watches the film will know the outcome automatically...you still see that last beam of hope inside you. The last beam of hope that maybe, just maybe, these guys can take the terrorists down. Maybe, just maybe, the storm to the cockpit will work. And that's the moment you know that United 93 is more than just a movie...it's a true masterpiece.