Patriots Day Released Three Years after the Boston Marathon Bombings

This really happened.

Patriots Day, directed by Peter Berg, is a dramatic thriller that is based on the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. It features fast paced, action scenes that leave the audience on the edge of its seats for almost the entire 2 hours and 13 minutes of the film. No one can leave the theater with unbitten finger nails.

Patriots Day opens by introducing Sergeant Tommy Saunders, played by Mark Wahlberg, as he works on a drug bust a few days before the marathon. Viewers are quickly taken through various scenes as the victims of the bombings are shown living their daily life leading up to marathon Monday.

One particular family shown is Tamerlan Tsarnaev, played by Themo Melikidze, and his brother Dzokhar, played by Alex Wolff, as they make their final preparations for a very important plan that is not disclosed until they are later seen placing backpacks with bombs hidden inside by the finish line.

Once the major characters are introduced, the morning of the marathon arrives quickly. The race begins and so does the chaos.

Patriots Day is not a film for the weak of heart. A chilling moment of silence ensues before muffled explosions fill the audience’s ears. The viewers are then plunged into a terrifying war zone. Panic is everywhere. People are running and screaming, victims are lying on the ground with graphic injuries, and medics are frantically working. The air is filled with cursing and thick with fear.

The camera turns to police officers as they determine the bombs were an act of terrorism. Although the audience knew it was coming, one can’t help but shudder with despair and uncertainty. Will the city ever recover?

The rest of the film unfolds as a thrilling hunt for the men who unleashed it all – the fear, the loss of trust, the heartbreak, the injuries, the tears, the screams of agony and despair and the explosions that cast a dark cloud over the history of one of the most beloved days in Boston history.

Patriots Day enhances the original storyline by filming with stunning cinematography. The overhead view of the city of Boston during the sunrise in the opening scenes is chilling, for the gorgeous, picture perfect image is hard to look at when one knows what is about to occur.

A musical score done by Trent Reznor adds emotion to the already dramatic scenes. Major climatic plot points are built up by waves of biting soundtracks that automatically raises the viewer’s heart rate.

Overall, Patriots Day is a rapidly paced thriller that replicates a modern tragedy with pinpoint accuracy. It is impossible to leave the theater without a lump in your throat and goosebumps running up and down your arms. If you want to cry or be inspired by the courage of others, this is the film for you.