Stronger (15)

Biography, Drama

Stronger is the inspiring real life story of Jeff Bauman, an ordinary man who captured the hearts of his city and the world to become a symbol of hope after surviving the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

The critical consensus

Committed performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany power this biographical drama.

(*) (*) Katherine McLaughlin, The List, 04/12/2017

A deeply human and often brutally honest depiction of trauma and recovery, anchored by three superb performances — though it often falls victim to formula.

(*) (*) John Nugent, Empire Online, 06/12/2017

Well-observed, and almost entirely free of the usual biopic BS — almost.

(*) Charles Bramesco, Little White Lies, 07/12/2017

A well-intentioned attempt to show the human cost of the attack but the central performances feel forced.

(*) (*) (*) Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman, 07/12/2017

Stronger is at its best in its harshest moments, when it acknowledges the contradictions in its hero’s story and portrays his bitterness and self-loathing as well as his courage.

(*) (*) Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent, 07/12/2017

In many respects, Stronger is a by-the-book inspirational tearjerker but the performances are undeniably effective and the emotions so raw that every one of those tears has been earned.

(*) Allan Hunter, Daily Express, 08/12/2017

This Boston Marathon drama attempts to portray a survivor’s difficult emotional journey even as it waves Old Glory.

(*) (*) (*) Wendy Ide, The Observer, 10/12/2017