The harrowing true story of two rescue workers buried alive under the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena.

Based on actual accounts of surviving participants, World Trade Center builds on details. Port Authority Police Department Sergeant John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) begins a routine day on 9/11, then leads his team on a mission to help people escape the World Trade Center, but the towers fall and trap him and rookie cop Will Jimeno (Michael Pena). Injured, they hang on for long hours. The survivors' waiting comprises much of the film, their fear and character exposed in tight close-ups. Unable to move, their heroism is defined by their pain and fortitude.

We also see TV viewers around the world, shocked at the destruction, and worried families including Will and John's. John and Will essentially talk each other into staying awake, and there is a supremely subjective moment experienced by Will -- the film's effort to reconstruct what went on in the men's minds during this most grueling experience.