The 2016 film Patriots Day is based on the true events of the April 15, 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent city-wide manhunt for the two perpetrators. The narrative primarily adapts the non-fiction book Boston Strong: A City's Triumph over Tragedy by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge, adhering closely to the established timeline of the attack, the ensuing investigation, and the final confrontation with the suspects.
While the film strives for historical accuracy and features many real-life figures, including Police Commissioner Ed Davis, FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, and Watertown Police Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese, its main protagonist is a narrative construct. The central character, Sergeant Tommy Saunders (portrayed by Mark Wahlberg), is a composite figure created for the film. He represents the collective actions, experiences, and perspectives of multiple Boston police officers who were involved in different aspects of the crisis, allowing the story to be told through a single, cohesive viewpoint.
The film functions as a docudrama, blending factual events with dramatic storytelling techniques. It incorporates actual news footage and meticulously reconstructs key scenes, from the explosions at the finish line to the firefight in Watertown. Although the overarching story and its principal events are real, the use of a composite lead character and the dramatization of private conversations are cinematic liberties taken to create an emotionally resonant narrative. Therefore, the film is a dramatized chronicle of a historical event rather than a purely documentary account.
