9/11 anniversary – 9 docs and films worth watching to remember Sept. 11 attacks

Almost everyone can remember where they were on Sept. 11, 2001, when hijacked planes flew into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

For retired New York firefighter Bill Spade, he relives the nightmare every day, he says. After rescuing people inside the North Tower, it collapsed moments later, burying him and civilians in soot and debris.

“I always tell people I went to counsel[ing] for four years, but it doesn't really leave you,” Spade tells USA TODAY, who gives talks at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. “By talking about it, I feel it's better than keeping it inside.”

As of 2025, about 30 percent of U.S. residents were born after 2001, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, meaning a third of U.S. residents weren’t alive to observe the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The tragic day, etched into the minds of many Americans, has since been memorialized in classroom textbooks, anniversary broadcasts, museums and the stories told by survivors.

As we near the 25th anniversary of 9/11, streaming platforms and cable networks have announced specials, films and documentaries dedicated to the recovery efforts made by emergency professionals, the bonds formed among strangers and the next generation impacted by…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/entertainment/