The 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent city-wide manhunt for the perpetrators form the factual basis of the film. The movie is a docudrama primarily adapted from the non-fiction book Boston Strong: A City's Triumph over Tragedy by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. The keyword phrase functions as a noun clause, identifying the subject of inquiry.
The narrative chronologically depicts the terrorist attack on April 15, 2013, when two pressure cooker bombs detonated near the marathon's finish line. It then follows the intensive investigation led by the FBI, the Boston Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies. Key events detailed include the identification of the suspects, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, from surveillance footage; the murder of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier; a violent shootout in Watertown, Massachusetts; and the lockdown of the Greater Boston area during the final search.
For cinematic purposes, the film amalgamates the experiences of several real-life law enforcement officers into the composite character of Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders. This narrative device allows the audience to witness multiple facets of the investigation and response through a single perspective. The film also integrates actual news and surveillance footage to enhance its authenticity, aiming to portray not only the procedural aspects of the manhunt but also the resilience and coordinated effort of the city's first responders and community.
