‘American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing’ Review: Like Looking for a Needle in a Haystack
The USA is one of the most interesting countries to study. Their way of life is really on another level, not only because they are one of the world’s superpowers or because the country is extremely big and still hides many incredible natural wonders and cultures and traditions that it is difficult to comprehend. But because of it also, the country’s inhabitants constantly fear many things. And with good reason, because the USA has become almost synonymous with terrorism. 10 years after the bombing, a new documentary on Netflix explores one of US soil’s worst territory events.
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing is a new Netflix documentary series focused on the events occurring during and after the terrible Boston Marathon Bombing, one of the worst terrorist events on US soil. The documentary, which runs for three episodes, is directed by Floyd Russ and tells the story of the different authorities working together to find the people responsible for such a horrifying event. The series does an excellent job of documenting the highs and lows of the investigation, and it might be one of the best American Manhunts to date.
Netflix really knows how to treat its audience, and the fact that a new documentary in this format is basically being released every month tells you that this is easy, cheap, and profitable content for the service. Especially when the offering is of this quality. There have been a couple of installments before that felt like a botched job, incomplete research, and even the worst presentation, but this is not one of those installments. American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing feels like a lean and mean machine that delivers facts at a breakneck pace.
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing shines when it comes to gathering information and presenting it to the viewer in a clean and welcoming manner. There are many things that need to be filtered in this story to make a very straight and easy-to-follow narrative, and it seems like Russ and his team have found the right formula. The interviews are also incredibly good, and all the people that are being interviewed are taking each moment very seriously, which is great because it brings gravitas to the entire project.
Yes, some clichés here and there are used to create more drama than necessary, especially when it comes to a couple of interviewees who feel the need to talk in the most dramatic way possible. Outside of those moments, the documentary emits a sense of professionalism and is something that can be watched even in schools when it comes to studying an event like this. There are many moving pieces here, but they definitely flow with ease, thanks to the great editing and structure.
One of the many things that are often missing from these types of documentaries is different perspectives on the event. This is so important because, in today’s day and age, things cannot simply be black and white as before. The good Vs. bad narrative cannot be sustained much more when it seems like every single group is having a hard time with public opinion. And so this documentary tries to do the best possible job of talking with people from different backgrounds whose lives were touched by the bombing.
One of the most interesting perspectives is the one coming from the Muslim community. This was a post-September 11 incident, an event that changed the world. This community has been bullied since that event thanks to the action of others that share the same beliefs but execute them differently. The documentary takes the time to talk to members of this community, and the result is quite nice. It is informative and opens an emotional window to the lives of these people, who were experiencing the tragedy in a different way.
The same can be said of the perspective of the investigation team members. We get the points of view of several members of the police, FBI, and other governmental offices that participated in the investigation. This is great, especially from an entertainment standpoint, as the investigators didn’t see eye to eye while making many of the vital decisions, so there was a lot of drama in those offices. It is great to see these people as they are, just normal human beings trying to do their job the best they can, even when the odds are against them.
From a visual standpoint, all the interviews are done with excellent cameras; everything looks sharp and crispy. However, the real meat and potatoes lie with the editing of each episode. The way the information flows and the different bits of information are presented is outstanding and makes each episode feel shorter than it actually is. The use of archive footage is excellent, and it really takes us to the moment of the event and makes the stories the people tell more than just something that happened in another world.
In the end, American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing is an excellent documentary series that proves that Netflix can really lead the pack regarding this type of content. There is a lot of content like this on YouTube, so Netflix productions need to step up, and so far, they are going in the right direction. The documentary feels substantial and relevant and a great way to remember the incident now that the tenth anniversary is coming up on April 15th.