The Looming Tower (2018)

Travers gives the series an enthusiastic verdict, calling it a gripping and indispensable telling of the 9/11 story. He praises the grounded performances, especially Jeff Daniels and Tahar Rahim, alongside the careful direction and period detail.

Robson calls the finale devastating and the series a superbly acted, well-scripted, tautly directed drama. He especially praises how the attack and its aftermath are conveyed through restrained scenes and poignant footage rather than CGI.

Shoemaker finds the episode gripping despite predictable scenes, an unnecessary Alec Baldwin appearance, and underdeveloped female characters. She particularly praises the engrossing interrogation-room face-off between Bill Camp and Youssef Berouain.

The critic finds the series compelling and thorough, with its familiar ending made gripping by the careful build-up of tension. Daniels and Sarsgaard’s performances, especially their characters’ simmering hostility, stand out, though the women’s storylines feel underdeveloped.

Fienberg finds the limited series gripping and historically illuminating, though some of its romantic subplots feel rote and its female characters underdeveloped. He particularly praises Tahar Rahim’s empathetic portrayal of Ali Soufan and the ensemble’s balance.

Ryan finds the series accessible and illuminating, handling its complicated history without triumphalism or oversimplification. She especially praises the human texture of the characters and the cast’s performances, while noting that Soufan’s personal life falls flat.

The critic suggests the series struggles to make its strong ingredients add up to a satisfying whole. They praise the combination of Peter Sarsgaard, Jeff Daniels and Michael Stuhlbarg, but say something feels missing.

The critic finds the series engaging at times but ultimately frustrating and not fully realized. He singles out a tense interrogation scene for its performances and emotional complexity, while faulting the series for flattening ideological conflicts and its CIA character.

The critic calls the series engrossing and possibly the first truly great new TV series of 2018. They single out its relentless pacing and strong performances, especially Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard, while noting its lack of female representation.

Brennan finds the series an imperfect but vital corrective to familiar counterterrorism dramas. He especially praises Tahar Rahim’s performance and the series’ focus on the consequences of CIA-FBI rivalry.

The review finds the series watchable but familiar and overly sympathetic to the FBI, with its storytelling undermined by cartoonish CIA antagonists. It praises Tahar Rahim’s performance as Ali Soufan and calls his overseas scenes the show’s standout moments.

Cabin finds the series a middling, overly didactic drama that mistakes research for insight. He praises the cast’s flashes of complexity but faults the writing for reducing characters to information-delivery devices.

Baumann finds the series a comprehensive failure, arguing that it mistakes vulgar dialogue for intelligence and offers no meaningful message. He criticizes its shallow character writing and says the strong cast and consequential subject matter cannot rescue it.