Patriots Day walks a fine line between true drama and ‘too soon’ drama.

It’s been less than four years since the Boston Marathon Bombings, and I went into Patriots Day wondering what the film, made so soon after the saturation news coverage, hoped to achieve. Director Peter Berg, of course, is no stranger when it comes to adapting true-life events, and, after an awkward opening, he manages to deliver once again in retelling the events and aftermath of April 15th, 2013. The film’s ability to balance reverence for the victims while maintaining the tension of a thriller is one of its strongest assets.

The opening twenty minutes or so of Patriots Day find themselves mired in disaster movie cliché, as the various groups of characters are introduced going about their daily lives, oblivious to the impending doom which hangs over them. This setup feels formulaic, and it’s a bit heavy-handed in places, but once the attack takes place, the film grips you and doesn’t let go throughout. The ensemble cast, which includes John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, and J K Simmons, bring their real-life counterparts to vivid life. The film excels in illuminating the nail-biting tension and drama of the city-wide manhunt to catch the bombers before they could flee or strike again.

The only aspect of Patriots Day which doesn’t work is producer/star Mark Wahlberg’s improbably omnipresent Sergeant Tommy Saunders. His unnecessary backstory weighs down the opening of the film and then distorts the rest of the narrative by seemingly being present – if not instrumental – in nearly every stage of the investigation and subsequent manhunt. It feels like an awkward concession to the demands of having a central “star” character, even when the real strength of the film lies in its ensemble.

Despite this minor grumble, Patriots Day proves to be a gripping, edge-of-the-seat thriller, all the more astonishing for the true events it depicts. It’s a powerful reminder of the resilience of a city in the face of terror.