Despite the significant place that it occupies in popular culture, the September 11th attacks and the United States’ military reaction have inspired relatively few pieces of compelling media. Since there are more divergent political opinions regarding the intent and effectiveness of the war, it has been much harder to construe fictional narratives that point to obvious heroes and villains. However, this fascinating period in American history offers an intriguing opportunity for filmmakers to examine how infrastructural corruption, internalized xenophobia, and the culture of militarization lead to a tense series of international relations. The Mauritanianis an underrated historical film that examined the scapegoating of falsely accused 9/11 attackers and stands as one of the best political thrillers in recent memory.
