9/11

9/11

Year: 2017

Runtime: 90 min

Language: English

Director: Martin Guigui

Echo Score: 32

Budget: $5.5M

ActionDrama

On a September morning, the lives of five strangers unexpectedly intersect within an elevator. Among them are a deliveryman marking his daughter's birthday, a wealthy businessman facing divorce, a maintenance worker, and a young Russian woman with a complicated relationship. When the first plane hits, the elevator becomes a trap, forcing these individuals to confront their personal struggles and work together to survive the escalating crisis and find a way to escape the unfolding disaster.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – 9/11 (2017)

Explore the full timeline and setting of 9/11 (2017). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

September 11, 2001, morning

The events take place in the early hours of September 11, 2001, climaxing with the Flight 11 crash that disables the elevator. The timeline tracks the group’s attempts to escape as emergency responses unfold, illustrating how seconds matter in a high-rise disaster. The moment is defined by sudden catastrophe and urgent decision-making.

Location

World Trade Center North Tower, Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA

The story unfolds inside the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on the morning of September 11, 2001. The central setting is the tower's elevator shaft and the surrounding office floors, highlighting the claustrophobic space where the passengers are trapped. The city outside remains recognizable, while the building becomes a tense microcosm of crisis and rescue.

🌆 Downtown Manhattan 🏢 Skyscrapers 🗽 New York City

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:55

Main Characters – 9/11 (2017)

Meet the key characters of 9/11 (2017), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Eve Cage (Gina Gershon)

Eve is Jeffrey's wife and one of the passengers trapped in the elevator. She stays composed in the crisis, navigates tense dynamics with other passengers, and helps steer the group toward practical escape steps. Her calm, determined presence anchors the evolving plan.

💪 resilience 🗺️ leadership 🗣️ calm

Michael (Wood Harris)

Michael is a bicycle courier and a father who verbally wishes his daughter a happy birthday before starting his route. In the elevator, he remains a steady, grounded voice, contributing to the group’s plan and keeping hope alive amid fear.

🧭 teamwork 🗨️ calm 🧠 focus

Jeffrey Cage (Charlie Sheen)

Jeffrey is Eve's estranged husband and a passenger in the elevator. He voices love for Eve and resolves to meet in the lobby, but the disaster leads to a tragic end as the elevator descends during the collapse.

💔 tragedy 🧭 regret 🗨️ tension

Eddie (Luis Guzmán)

Eddie is a maintenance man who uses his practical knowledge to aid the escape attempt. He helps unlock locking mechanisms and navigate through the confined space toward a possible exit.

🔧 practical 🧠 resourceful 🏃 determination

Tina (Olga Fonda)

Tina is a woman who came to break up with her wealthy lover and becomes part of the trapped group. She experiences fear and tension in the claustrophobic space while contributing to the group's survival through reaction and endurance.

💬 communication 🫂 resilience 🕊️ hope

Metzie (Whoopi Goldberg)

Metzie is the elevator dispatcher who communicates with the trapped passengers. She remains a calm, decisive voice, coordinating the improvised plan as the situation worsens and the tower collapses.

🗣️ leadership 🧭 guidance 🫶 support

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:55

Major Themes – 9/11 (2017)

Explore the central themes of 9/11 (2017), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💪 Courage

Ordinary people summon resolve to face unimaginable danger. They improvise a plan to pry the elevator door and endure a terrifying descent. Bravery comes from steady, practical actions and from keeping hope alive despite the odds.

🗣️ Communication

Metzie uses the PA system to guide and coordinate the trapped passengers, turning a sealed cabin into a channel for information and leadership. Clear communication helps organize the group's improvised escape and sustains morale. The outside responders' messages blur the line between rescue and desperation.

🧭 Teamwork

People from different backgrounds unite under pressure, pooling skills to challenge the locked doors and broken cables. The group relies on cooperation—manual labor, problem-solving, and mutual support—to increase their chances of survival. The outcome hinges on trust and collective effort.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:55

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Claustrophobic survival movies like 9/11

Strangers forced to cooperate while trapped in a life-threatening enclosed space.If you enjoyed the high-stakes tension of 9/11, explore more movies where characters are trapped and fighting for survival in a confined space. These films feature a fast pace, high intensity, and the powerful theme of strangers uniting under extreme pressure.

claustrophobictenseurgentanxiousgrippingdesperatecooperative

Narrative Summary

These narratives typically begin with a diverse group of individuals unexpectedly confined together. An external disaster or threat immediately escalates, turning their environment into a trap. The story focuses on their struggle to overcome panic, personal conflicts, and logistical challenges to engineer an escape, often leading to profound, if costly, personal revelations.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared core experience of high-tension, location-based survival. They prioritize a fast pace, a consistently tense and anxious tone, and the compelling dynamic of strangers forging bonds under dire circumstances to overcome a claustrophobic threat.

Movies with bittersweet endings after disaster like 9/11

Personal redemption and small victories set against a backdrop of large-scale disaster.For viewers who appreciated the emotional weight and bittersweet resolution of 9/11, this list features films where personal stories of survival and connection unfold against a larger tragedy. These movies balance heavy emotional impact with moments of profound human hope.

somberbittersweetheavytragichopefulredemptivegripping

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves intertwining personal struggles with a cataclysmic external event. The disaster forces characters to confront their flaws and priorities. The climax often involves a costly escape or resolution for the main characters, but their personal victory is forever shadowed by the scale of the surrounding tragedy, leaving a lasting emotional impact.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups movies that masterfully balance a heavy emotional weight with a bittersweet ending. They share a tone that is both somber and urgently tense, focusing on how human resilience and connection can provide a glimmer of light, but not full escape, from overwhelming darkness.

Unlock the Full Story of 9/11

Don't stop at just watching — explore 9/11 in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what 9/11 is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

9/11 Summary

Read a complete plot summary of 9/11, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

9/11 Summary

9/11 Timeline

Track the full timeline of 9/11 with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

9/11 Timeline

9/11 Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of 9/11 that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

9/11 Spoiler-Free Summary

More About 9/11

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about 9/11: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About 9/11