Strong message, horrifying results; it definitely does what it tries to do.

The bombing was a very serious matter and thankfully the film does that justice. The film is very realistic, incorporating the real surveillance images, as well. This is a very accurate retelling of what happened on that day, and the man hunt that ensued. (Apart from Mark Wahlberg's character being fictional, I believe). Wahlberg is excellent in his role, though, as is the rest of the cast. The intensity and suspense increases with every moment, and the viewer is filled with more and more hatred towards the bombers as the film unfolds, and can't wait for them to get what they deserve.The real-life footage at the end of the film featuring the actual people involved was awesome and also very emotional.

Whether the reenactment is a hundred percent accurate or not, I will let other people be the judge of that. For me the film as typical of Hollywood productions, it will be sanitized yet exaggerated to the point that there's always the hero and antihero. In real life, that is not exactly how it plays , some scenes- specifically the sort of simplified homefront of the deceased terrorist is a bit too profiled for me. Mark Wahlberg is believable as one of the local police, the rest of the cast a bit here and there, and yes, the predictability of endless tension between factions is there as well. Also there are some typecast characters , like the Chinese student whose car was taken by the brothers and how by being smart is able to flee from them. The shooting scenes are to me, a bit over the top, as in really, no one out of that neighborhood ( except a guy who threw his weapon to the police- get èm dialogue ) came out to peek? Well, from what I have seen in America even when it´s DUI the entire street always comes out to watch so maybe they really followed the instruction to stay inside. It has loopholes but still a decent watch and hope some percent of the revenue proceeds to the family of the victims.

Mark Wahlberg is totally mis-cast in this film. The man cannot act. An unknown would have done a better job.