Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers Review – In the shadow of terror

The Review Geek

10 hours ago

Season 1
Episode Guide
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
On 7th July 2005, London was forever changed by an unthinkable act of terror. Four co-ordinated suicide attacks were carried out by Islamist terrorists, targeting commuters travelling on London's public transport during the morning rush hour.
Three bombs were detonated on the London Underground within 50 seconds of each other, and then just under an hour later, another bomb exploded on a bus in Tavistock Square.
Panic and confusion rippled across the capital, fuelling fear and deepening the mistrust that had taken root after 9/11.
With security and intelligence forces scrambling for answers, what followed was Britain's largest criminal investigation, determined to find those responsible for radicalizing those suicide bombers before they struck again.
The first episode outlines the timeline for these attacks and what happened in excruciating detail, including some very revealing eyewitness accounts from those who were there on the trains and buses.
Episode 2 then turns to the investigation toward identifying these four men and exactly who they were – and why they did this. Police are a lot more central in this chapter, with the investigation crescendoing into finding a strange brown substance in a suspicious house which – as one investigator so aptly puts it – 'smelt a lot like sh*t'.
Episode 3 then jumps forward to the incidents on 21st July. Four more bombers are out on the prowl but this time, the police are ready. This leads into an operation seemingly targeting one of the bombers, all the while marching ever-closer to a tragedy that can only be regarded as a colossal mistake.
The fourth and final chapter then looks deeper at the aftermath of this incident, specifically honing in on police ineptitude, alongside tracking down the escaped bombers before it's too late.
It's here where we see the influences behind the bombers themselves, intermingled around the British spirit of 'keeping calm and carrying on' while also calling out the injustices from trigger-happy police.
The interviews are well delivered and pretty balanced, although there's no illusion over where the blame lies. The Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, lends his voice here, and it's clear from some of the difficult statements he gives (and the way he squirms a bit in his seat) that he knows the responsibility is ultimately levelled at his shoulders.
There's a continued theme here of miscommunication from the police during these later episodes, something echoed by whistle-blowers – including one of the officers who pulled the trigger. His appearance is notable obscured here (which is probably for the best).
However, the show also balances this condemnation out with a sharp reminder that this was the first ever suicide bombing in Britain. As the rules changed and the learning curve steepened, the documentary also highlights the sheer dedication of officers on the front lines.
Seeing some of these later operations take place, including a collective effort not to kill any of the bombers, is a reminder of how essential the police actually are, but this is certainly not a documentary for the fainthearted.
There is a lot of raw, intimate footage here, including recreations of the bombings, head-cams from investigators stepping onboard the destroyed trains, and boots-on-the-ground operations to catch the bombers. None of this is done in a way that feels exploitative though.
Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers is a really solid documentary. It's a haunting, sharply told expose that doesn't shy away from the messiness of truth—or the complexity of justice in the shadow of terror.