Boston, April 15, 2013. As the city prepares for its famous marathon, which draws about 30,000 people every year, two bombs explode near the finish line. Witnessing the events, police sergeant Tommy Saunders participates in the FBI-led investigation and then in the search for the two men who are suspected of preparing further attacks.

Picture gallery

A few months after Deepwater Horizon, director Peter Berg is reunited with superstar Mark Wahlberg for another movie based on a true story. It is a hot topic in many respects, because the memory is still fresh, and the issue is far from over. Patriots Day is surprisingly good, even though it’s a big Hollywood movie, with a handful of stereotypical characters (happy, respectable and heroic in their own way), heavy dialogue (with a few oddly placed jokes) and the omnipresent good vs. evil where America, as usual, is the land of good. But with its raw images that sensationally illustrate operations that take place in the shadows and faces frozen by terror, Patriots Day is gripping. Two magnificent, energetic hours to a beautiful soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.