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The third Monday in April is a special day in Boston. Though Patriots’ Day began as a celebration of the first battles of the Revolutionary War, it’s now known now as the day when the Boston Marathon is run. But, just a few years ago, that day became known for a different kind of battle—and every step of that battle is depicted in Peter Berg’s latest real-life thriller, Patriots Day.
Patriots Day follows the events leading up to the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013 and the city-wide search that followed. Mark Wahlberg stars as Sgt. Tommy Saunders, a Boston cop who’s assigned to cover the VIP section at the marathon’s finish line. When the bombs go off, he races in to help the victims. But after the streets are cleared, the victims have been taken to nearby hospitals, and the FBI arrives to take over the investigation, Tommy continues to lend his knowledge of the case and his city to help with the manhunt.
Patriots Day is certainly an ambitious film, exploring every aspect of the bombing—from the days leading up to the marathon to the chaos and the gruesome, blood-soaked aftermath to the fact-finding to the final chase. It covers a whole lot of ground—and it follows a lot of characters whose connections aren’t initially clear. In the process, it takes some of the emotional connection away from Wahlberg’s character—much like the action and chaos of Berg’s Deepwater Horizon also diminished the emotional connection (also with Wahlberg’s character) earlier this year. Granted, Patriots Day is significantly more affecting than Deepwater Horizon, but viewers won’t feel truly connected to any of the characters.
As the film moves from one stage of the story to another, each change in the investigation tends to come with a change in tone—and each shift seems to make it feel a little bit longer. At times, the story is devastating—as couples and families are separated during the chaos and as others lose lives and limbs. At other times, it’s tense and captivating, as the Boston police work together with the FBI to hunt for clues and track the suspects. And, at still other times, it’s action-packed and thrilling, as the bombers go on the run and battle back against their pursuers in the biggest, most explosive ways possible. But while it sometimes feels haphazard, it stays true to the story while capturing the spirit of Boston and the people who brought the bombers to justice.
Despite its lengthy runtime and somewhat uneven story, Patriots Day has a fascinating story to tell. The outcome may not be a surprise, but it’s still surprisingly suspenseful—even when it wanders off into more dramatic or procedural territory. And, in the end, it’s a tragic, captivating, and ultimately uplifting film about how much people can do when they rise above their hardships and join together to get the job done.
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