As we've looked at, there's been a wide range of films spinning off from the September 11 attacks that look at varying elements of the tragedy; the horror of the event itself and the political situation it created. But once the initial splurge was over - documentaries examining exactly what happened and dramatisations - there's been a marked lack of directly 9/11-inspired films; even as it completely changed the industry as it did the greater world its presence has shifted. Remember Me, the Robert Pattinson romantic drama, made the above list for just this reason. The film ends with his character, Tyler, in the North Tower on the morning of the attack, but 9/11 and its impact on the wider world isn't explored; the film looks solely on the effect it has on its characters, making it little more than a plot device. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (and unbelievably boring), which somehow got nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, uses the attacks as a motivation to gets its character on its journey, but again doesn't really use the event other than an excuse to kill the protagonists father. What this suggests is that while the effects of the attacks can still be felt in movies, the event itself has become a diluted piece of history for movies to use without any real reason beyond emotional manipulation. The poor box office returns from the likes of World Trade Center and United 93 no doubt played a part in this, making films that straight-up deal with tragedy not seeming worth the studio's time, but its interesting that on top of the evoking the imagery being common-place, the event is now just another cinematic tool.
