9/11 (2017 film)

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 11% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 2.58/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 20 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[8]

Kimber Meyers of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a negative review, saying "9/11 trades on the emotional weight of its namesake day, manipulating audiences into feelings that have nothing to do with the mess that is actually on screen."[9] In an equally unfavorable review, Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter noted that 9/11 "proves so exploitative that its end credits' dedication to the victims and first responders feels tawdry".[10] Jezebel reviewer Rich Juzwiak wrote that although the film fades out with the words "Never Forget" written on the screen, "I won't, 9/11, but you've done your damnedest to make me want to."[11]

Alonso Duralde of TheWrap praised the performances of Gina Gershon and Jacqueline Bisset and wrote: "Sixteen years later, 9/11 remains too touchy a subject for a movie as clumsy as 9/11 to get entirely right. And even if the film relies too much on the real-life horror of the actual event to loan it some gravitas, the performances touch the emotions honestly and deservedly."[12]

In 2006, Sheen called in to the far-right conspiracy theorist radio program hosted by Alex Jones to voice his support to the then-growing 9/11 Truth movement. Sheen suggested that the Twin Towers had been destroyed due to a controlled demolition, which was then followed by a cover-up by the US government.[13] He went on to state: "It seems to me like 19 amateurs with box cutters taking over four commercial airliners and hitting 75% of their targets -- that feels like a conspiracy theory."[14][15] In 2006, Sheen spoke at a 9/11 truther convention in Los Angeles with Alex Jones, and later reaffirmed his beliefs about the conspiracy on Jimmy Kimmel Live![14]

When Sheen was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter in September 2017, he reaffirmed his belief in the 9/11 truther movement, remarking, "I was not just coming up with stuff about 9/11. I was parroting those a lot smarter and a lot more experienced than myself, who had very similar questions. Not to put this behind us because, as brilliantly written, we must 'never forget,' but there are still a couple of things just rooted in simple physics that beg some measure of inquiry."[13]

Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson, whose firefighter father died in the 9/11 attacks, condemned the film in an Instagram post, citing Sheen's history with the Truther movement.[16] Others characterized director Martin Guigui's decision to cast a vocal 9/11 Truther in a film about the attacks as hypocritical.[13][17][18][19][20][21][22] Co-star Gina Gershon claimed not to have known about Sheen's earlier conspiracy-related statements until after filming on 9/11 had wrapped; she remarked that she would have spoken to Sheen about those comments before committing to the project.[6]