Yes, the film Patriots Day is a docudrama based on the real events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt for the perpetrators. The movie chronicles the terrorist attack that occurred near the marathon's finish line on April 15, 2013, the immediate response by first responders and law enforcement, the intensive city-wide investigation, and the ultimate capture of one suspect and the death of the other in a series of events that unfolded over the following four days.
The narrative is constructed from extensive research, news reports, and the non-fiction book Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. While many characters in the film, such as FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers and Police Commissioner Ed Davis, are direct portrayals of their real-life counterparts, the central protagonist, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders (played by Mark Wahlberg), is a composite character. Saunders is an amalgamation of several different Boston Police Department officers who were directly involved in key moments of the investigation and manhunt, created to provide a singular narrative through-line for the audience.
The film's objective is to present a factually-grounded, chronological retelling of the events. To achieve this, director Peter Berg integrated actual archival footage from news broadcasts and surveillance cameras with dramatized scenes. This technique blends cinematic storytelling with documentary evidence to immerse the viewer in the tension and reality of the crisis. Therefore, while it employs dramatic license, particularly with its composite protagonist, the core timeline, pivotal events, and overarching story depicted in the movie are factually accurate.
