Patriots Day Review (Spoilers)

            Patriots Day is a movie that many people did not see coming. It is based off of the devastating Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013. These attacks were acts of evil and cowardliness that shocked the country. This movie does a spectacular job of showing the events of this disturbing day. The movies plot displays the time before, during, and after the bombings. The movie is mainly about finding the people behind the attacks, which is done in a way that does not exploit the situation. This is a movie about such a recent event that it could have very well been bad. But, it was executed with great visuals, emotion, and accuracy which makes it one of the best modern historical film in the past five years. 
            The visuals in this movie were probably overlooked due to the intriguing story. However, the events were perfectly depicted using the different camera angles, footage, and shots which really captured the realism needed to make a film like this. For example, in the beginning of the film, they tap into the security footage, phones, and other electronics to express how this is happening in the real world. While the recordings may not have been the best or most ideal quality, it was necessary to capture the shots needed for the investigation throughout.  In addition, the action, stunts, and practical effects were all done very well without overdoing or concentrating on it too much. 
            The main part of the visuals that makes them so effective was the focus on the emotion. The director, Peter Berg, begins the film by showing several different people and their relationships. This movie has an emphasis on this to show the devastation of the event. The characters change throughout and towards the end, you can see the survivors gratefulness and love for their families. Not to mention, there were great performances by Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, and J.K. Simmons respectively. They, along with the direction, handled the situation with honor and their performances thrived off of this. I don't know about you, but I couldn't help but shed a tear at the end of the movie. As the credits rolled, I could only think of how brave all the survivors were. 
            Lastly, another great part about the film was the accuracy of the event. After viewing, being that I was not familiar with the full extent of the situation, I did a little research. And, everything down to the college students at MIT was all completely accurate which is more important than people think. Making a factual movie like this not only makes people more aware of the situation but also the true impact of the situation. Movies based on true events tend to be slightly nonfactual and have a focus on the situation as a whole rather than certain characters. So, I have to give props to the entire cast for creating such a historically accurate piece of art. 
            In conclusion, if you have not already, I suggest you see this movie. It may not seem like a movie that you have to see from the plot description or trailers released. But, this is a true patriotic film that captures the true impact of the very recent tragedy. So, give it a look and stay Boston strong!