Netflix’s latest documentary series American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing is directed by Floyd Russ. There is a total of 3 episodes of approximately 50 minutes to an hour. The docuseries is based on the 2013 terrorist attack in Boston at the marathon finish line. Tiller Russell, the man behind Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Waco American Apocalypse, is the executive producer of the show.
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American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing Review
On April 15, 2013, on Patriots Day, the Boston Marathon event became a nightmare for hundreds of people. Two bomb explosions caused havoc, leading to multiple deaths and hundreds of injured. The Boston police and the FBI investigated every small or big piece of evidence to find the truth.
The people who died due to the Boston Marathon Bombing were Martin Richard (8 years old), Lu Lingzi (23 years old) and Krystle Campbell (29 years old). It took many hours for the officials to confirm that the bomb explosions were an act of terrorism. The terrorists used two homemade pressure cooker bombs. However, the cops and FBI were clueless about who the terrorists were.
With the help of thousands of pictures and videos from the marathon, most of which were submitted by the people, the investigation team could narrow down two men as the suspects. The investigation of the Boston Marathon Bombings faced a lot of challenges.
Things backfired when the pictures and videos of these two men were released to the media and people. The men killed an MIT policeman named Sean Collier, hijacked a car, threatened its owner Danny Meng and were on their way to go New York to cause more explosions. Danny proved of great help in finally changing the course of the case.
Who were the Boston Marathon Bombers?
The two young men behind these bombings were brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. It was a deadly and extensive search from Boston to Cambridge to Watertown. In the Netflix documentary, director Floyd Russ has given a chance to every pivotal person to share their story.
The docuseries includes survivor Karen McWatters, Superintendent of Boston Police Department Billy Evans, Police Commissioner Ed Davis, and Rick Deslauriers from the FBI, among others. Everyone recounts the fear, stress and pressure they felt from the moment the first bomb exploded till the terrorists were caught. As the incident happened in 2013, there are a lot of video recordings, pictures and radio recordings that help us gauge an idea of the horrific day.
We learn that it took 101 hours for the entire police force and the FBI to work on the case in Boston to find the evidence, identify the suspects, the manhunt, and finally catch them. The director didn’t shy away from showing the difference of opinions between the police force and the FBI regarding the case even today.
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While the docuseries is engrossing and informative, what bothered me was how it ended. When one of the suspects was caught alive, he was put under investigation. As a viewer, you want to know WHY would two young men carry out such a deadly act. It is established that they didn’t belong to any known terrorist organisation. Then why weren’t we given a clear answer from the terrorists?
The ‘why’ part in the docuseries doesn’t seem elaborative. The officers share information about the brothers’ background and what led them to take such steps. But the motives still weren’t explained precisely.
Final Thoughts
Overall, American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing will send chills down the spine. The visuals are not easy to watch; seeing innocent people suffer breaks your heart. The terrorist attack, the loss of lives and the chase that went on for days seemed never to end. The incident brought together the heroes of Bostons to fight back. But the eyewitnesses, officers involved, and the survivors will forever be haunted by the memory.
The documentary is now streaming on Netflix.
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