Miniseries · Hulu
The Looming Tower
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Jeff Daniels
John O'Neill
10 eps
Tahar Rahim
Ali Soufan
10 eps
Wrenn Schmidt
Diane Priest
10 eps
Bill Camp
Robert Chesney
10 eps
Louis Cancelmi
Vince Stuart
10 eps
Virginia Kull
Kathy Shaughnessy
10 eps
Ella Rae Peck
Heather
10 eps
Sullivan Jones
Floyd Bennet
10 eps
Michael Stuhlbarg
Richard Clarke
10 eps
Peter Sarsgaard
Martin Schmidt
10 eps
Kenneth Fok
Chuck Esposito
2 eps
Richard Lukunku
Officer Ndereba
1 eps
Rea Rangaka
Simon
1 eps
Rebecca Watson
Under Secretary of Energy
1 eps
Rachid El Adouani
Taller Man
1 eps
Reem Raouda
Haifa
1 eps
Carl Levin
Self (archive footage)
1 eps
Marty Kintu
Male Janitor
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Looming Tower actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Looming Tower reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
While Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda become a global threat, the rivalry between the CIA and FBI inadvertently sets the stage for the tragedy of 9/11 and the Iraq War.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E10 · Signature episode
9/11
Nobody can get a hold of O'Neill on Sept. 11, 2001; Soufan's evacuation from Yemen stops short as the CIA Station Chief gives him the answers he has been seeking from the CIA; Schmidt is reinstated into Alec Station; Soufan interrogates Abu Jandal.
- Directed by Craig Zisk
- Written by Ali Selim, Dan Futterman
S01E02 · Signature episode
Losing My Religion
Following the simultaneous embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, the FBI begins its investigation on the ground, while the CIA starts working on a retaliation plan.
- Directed by John Dahl
S01E01 · Signature episode
Now It Begins…
The chief of the FBI’s counter-terrorism unit, John O’Neill, invites rookie Muslim-American agent, Ali Soufan, onto his squad. Fighting to get information from the CIA, they soon realize their work is just beginning…as two American embassies are bombed.
- Directed by Alex Gibney
S01E09 · Signature episode
Tuesday
The CIA becomes aware that Hazmi and Mihdhar are gone and must relay that to the FBI. O’Neill accepts a job as head of security at the World Trade Center. Soufan is sent back to Yemen. Hazmi, Mihdhar and Atta head to Vegas for a final indulgence.
- Directed by Craig Zisk
- Written by Adam Rapp
S01E08 · Signature episode
A Very Special Relationship
Everyone adjusts to a new president and, with it, a shift in threat priority. Soufan learns of the importance of UBL’s bodyguard and is refused access to him. O’Neill is denied re-entry into Yemen and forced to resign. The terrorists in the U.S., Hazmi, Mihdhar and Atta, are lost by their U.S. handler.
- Directed by Craig Zisk
- Written by Bathsheba Doran
S01E07
The General
O’Neill and Soufan travel to Yemen to begin the investigation into the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole. The FBI becomes aware of a meeting in Malaysia and of Khallad, without knowing the CIA has been aware of both of those things for months.
- Directed by Michael Slovis
- Written by Ali Selim
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E10 · Signature episode
9/11
- Directed by Craig Zisk
- Written by Ali Selim, Dan Futterman
S01E09 · Signature episode
Tuesday
- Directed by Craig Zisk
- Written by Adam Rapp
S01E08 · Signature episode
A Very Special Relationship
- Directed by Craig Zisk
- Written by Bathsheba Doran
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Peter FeldmanProducer
- Adam RappExecutive Producer
- Lauren WhitneyProducer
- Alex GibneyExecutive Producer
- Craig ZiskExecutive Producer
- Ali SoufanProducer
Writing
- Adam RappWriter
- Shannon HoustonWriter
- Ali SelimWriter
- Dan FuttermanWriter
- Bathsheba DoranWriter
Direction
- Michael SlovisDirector
- Alex GibneyDirector
- John DahlDirector
- Craig ZiskDirector
- Ali SelimDirector
Music
- Will BatesOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- HuluStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
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Never stop watching
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