Last week I was able to watch the film “Patriot’s Day.” I had heard of the movie before but hadn’t seen the trailer or even knew what the plot was about. The movie was about the 2013 bombing that occurred during the Boston marathon. The beginning of the film introduces characters who are key to the story without the viewer understanding why the movie is presenting random characters. The movie is formatted in a very fragmented way because it breaks down the occurrences of that day and the two days after the attack down to the hour. It was captivating because although it wasn’t as flashy as an action movie, it was extremely realistic which really brings an audience in. As viewers, we were able to get a sense of what being in Boston on that horrific day was like through the camera angles and time stamps.

It was interesting to see how officials decided on the best way to respond to the situation. First, they needed to decide who would take the case between the Boston police department and the FBI. When analyzing the scene and finding pieces of home-made bomb materials, the FBI was able to decide that it was most likely a terrorist attack. They faced other challenges such as trying to figure out whether or not they should release the photos of the suspects to the public prematurely. Often times we expect these professionals to be able to give us answers almost instantly, but the movie highlighted how delicate these situations are and how patience is often times the better answer.

The movie was heartbreaking because it showed how this act changed the lives of hundreds of people forever. However, it also showed how strong the city of Boston is and how resilient they were after the accident.