How is suspense created in 'United 93'?

United 93 is a political thriller in which unravels the events of the terrorist attack of 9/11. The film follows the journey of the forth plane that was hijacked on this day, but unlike the other planes did not reach its destination, the White House. Suspense is built throughout the film in various ways proving to be very effective at capturing the audiences full attention and leaving them feeling anxious to find out about the events to come.

One key way the film is seen to create constant suspense in a subliminal way is by the constant use of sound. During the entire course of the film there are bassy sounds and drones which may reflect the forthcoming doom and also heighten and manipulate the anxiety which the audience feel. For example when the passengers are preparing to try and overtake the hijackers the tempo and volume of the bassy drones increases representing the fear and apprehension of what is to come.

Another way which suspense is created in a very easy way is the fact that the film is based on true events, this creates a much stronger link with the audience who already know the outcome of this event but still hope for another outcome. This is due to the effective ways suspense is used, as it should be predictable but manages to make it all seem new and fresh.