How is suspense created in the film United 93?

The film United 93 is based on the terrorist attacks that occured in America on Spetember 11th, 2001. Terrorists hijacked several planes, with two of these planes hitting the World Trade Center and one of them hitting the Pentagon. One plane, United Arilines Flight 93, never reached its supposed target of the White House, as the passengers on board managed to overthrow the hijackers and crash it into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The film manages very well to build suspense. Unlike other thrillers, which tend to build suspense and then have a climax at the end of the scene, the entire film acts as build up to the final scene, where the passengers take over the plane. Many features of the film contribute to this. A good example is when an air traffic control worker tries to contact the first plane to be hijacked, American 77, but doesn't get any reply from it. Along with the hijackers of United 93 looking suspicious as they board the flight, this lets the audience know that something is wrong, causing them to pay closer attention to what is happening.

There is also a good use of non-diegetic music, especially in the scene where the passengers are planning to and eventually do take over the plane. The music that is played over the scene evokes emotion in the viewer, as well as letting them know that the climax of the film is coming soon.