Overview
A gripping portrayal of courage and resilience in the face of terror.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- unflinching
- emotional
- true crime viewing
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found it stirring, well researched, briskly crafted, and respectful in honoring the victims and responders without becoming exploitative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent manhunt are presented through overlapping law-enforcement and civilian experiences rather than a single hero's story.
Boston police, the FBI, and other authorities combine resources to identify the bombers and contain the threat.
The film incorporates actual images and news footage from the 2013 attack alongside scripted performances.
The bombing response and the city's collective reaction are framed as central emotional and cultural dimensions of the story.
Films like Patriots Day, and why
Zero Dark Thirty
shared true-events action, police investigation, terrorism subject, and procedural urgency
The Kingdom
shared manhunt structure, escalating law-enforcement pursuit, and grounded action drama
United 93
shared contemporary terrorism drama, ensemble police perspective, and civic trauma
Deepwater Horizon
shared Peter Berg-style realism, true-event reconstruction, and heroic emergency responders
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Berg
- Release Date
- 2016-12-12
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2933)
Cast
- Mark Wahlberg
- John Goodman
- J.K. Simmons
- Kevin Bacon
- Michelle Monaghan
- Alex Wolff
- Themo Melikidze
- Michael Beach
- Vincent Curatola
- James Colby
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Patriots Day about?
- A tense, ensemble-driven reconstruction of the Boston Marathon bombing and the citywide manhunt that follows.
- What is Patriots Day like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Patriots Day as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Patriots Day violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Patriots Day as brutal.
- What did critics think of Patriots Day?
- Critics broadly found it stirring, well researched, briskly crafted, and respectful in honoring the victims and responders without becoming exploitative.
- Which films are like Patriots Day?
- Films with a similar feel include Zero Dark Thirty, The Kingdom, United 93, and Deepwater Horizon.
- How long is Patriots Day?
- Patriots Day runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch Patriots Day?
- In United States, Patriots Day streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
