The 2016 film Patriots Day is a docudrama based on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent city-wide manhunt for the perpetrators. The narrative is founded on factual occurrences, drawing source material from extensive research, news coverage, and the non-fiction book Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. It aims to provide a procedural account of the terrorist attack and the four-day investigation that followed.
The film reconstructs the timeline of events with a focus on historical accuracy, depicting the initial bombing at the marathon's finish line, the FBI-led investigation to identify the suspects from surveillance footage, the murder of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, a carjacking incident, and the final violent shootout in Watertown, Massachusetts. Many of the characters are direct portrayals of real individuals involved, including Police Commissioner Ed Davis, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, and Watertown Police Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese. However, the central protagonist, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders (played by Mark Wahlberg), is a composite character, created to amalgamate the experiences and perspectives of multiple Boston police officers into a single narrative viewpoint.
Ultimately, the film functions as a historical dramatization that blends scripted scenes with actual news and surveillance footage to create an authentic feel. While it takes narrative liberties, primarily through the use of its composite main character to streamline the story, its core plot points, timeline, and depiction of the investigation adhere closely to the real events. The objective was to create a tribute to the victims, first responders, and citizens involved in the real-life tragedy and its aftermath.
