The term "Patriots Day plot" is a noun phrase. The head noun is "plot," which is modified by the proper noun "Patriots Day" (referring to the 2016 film) acting as a noun adjunct. The phrase refers to the narrative structure of the film, which dramatizes the events of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent four-day investigation and city-wide manhunt for the two terrorists responsible.
The narrative begins on April 15, 2013, introducing key characters, including the perpetrators Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and a composite protagonist, Boston Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders. It depicts the detonation of two pressure cooker bombs near the marathon's finish line and the immediate, chaotic aftermath. The focus then shifts to the law enforcement response, led by FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers and Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis. The investigation meticulously pieces together evidence from surveillance footage to identify the suspects. After their images are released, the Tsarnaev brothers murder MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, carjack student Dun Meng, and engage in a major firefight with police in Watertown, during which Tamerlan is critically wounded and Dzhokhar escapes.
The plot's resolution occurs following a city-wide lockdown. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is discovered hiding in a boat stored in a residential backyard. After a tense standoff with law enforcement, the wounded suspect is taken into custody. The film's narrative arc concludes with the successful capture, emphasizing themes of community resilience, the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation, and the heroism of first responders and ordinary citizens. It uses a docudrama style, incorporating actual news footage to underscore the authenticity of the events portrayed.
