The central point of analysis for the keyword is accuracy, a noun signifying the quality or state of being correct or precise. The film is largely considered factually accurate in its depiction of the timeline, key events, and procedural elements of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt. It faithfully reconstructs the bombing, the FBI investigation, the identification of the perpetrators, the murder of MIT Officer Sean Collier, the carjacking of Dun Meng, and the Watertown shootout. The filmmakers utilized extensive research, including real surveillance footage, news reports, and consultations with individuals involved.
The most significant deviation from factual events is the film's use of composite characters, most notably the protagonist, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders, portrayed by Mark Wahlberg. Saunders is not a real person but an amalgam of several different Boston Police Department officers who were integral to the investigation and response. This narrative device was employed to create a central viewpoint through which the audience could experience the sprawling, multi-agency effort. Similarly, some timelines are condensed and personal interactions between characters are dramatized for cinematic effect. The stories of victims Jeffrey Pugliese, Jessica Kensky, and Patrick Downes are based on real people, but their on-screen portrayal involves scripted dialogue and narrative structuring.
In conclusion, the film achieves a high degree of historical and procedural accuracy, prioritizing a truthful representation of the event's sequence and spirit. Its primary departure from a strict documentary approach is the fictionalization of its main protagonist to streamline the narrative. This positions the film as a docudrama that values emotional truth and storytelling cohesion alongside its factual foundation. The accuracy lies in its macro-level portrayal of the tragedy and the city's response, rather than a literal, character-by-character reenactment of every detail.
