Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers- Why the new Netflix limited series is an extremely important watch

Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers (Image via Youtube/@Netflix)
Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers (Image via Youtube/@Netflix)

The moving four-part documentary Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers on Netflix marks the 20th anniversary of the 2005 London bombings. It examines the attacks via interviews with survivors, investigators, and leaders. This provides a sensitive and in-depth look at how the tragedy occurred and its long-term consequences.

On July 7, 2005, four suicide bombers struck London's public transit system. This was done during the morning commute as they planted homemade explosives on three Underground trains and one bus. This killed 52 people and injured almost 700, and since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, it was the greatest terrorist attack on the United Kingdom.


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Netflix's documentary, Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers, is released twenty years after the horrific London bombings of 2005, which were one of the most horrific incidents in recent British history.

Four suicide bombers that targeted London's public transportation system during morning rush hour—is revisited in this four-part documentary series where 52 civilians were murdered and nearly 700 were injured in the assaults. These were the first Islamist suicide bombs in the UK. It had a lasting effect on the city and its residents.

Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers is directed by Liza Williams and majorly takes a calm, focused approach to storytelling and avoids dramatization. Instead, it relies on firsthand accounts from survivors, families of victims, law enforcement officials, and key political figures.

This primarily includes former Prime Minister Tony Blair and ex-MI5 director Eliza Manningham-Buller, and their insights help piece together the timeline of events while shedding light on the pressure and confusion faced during the UK's largest-ever criminal investigation.

Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers is quite unique. This is because of its deep emotional core, and Dan Biddle, a survivor, describes the terrifying moment he met one of the bombers' eyes right before the explosion, and he offers a very personal perspective on the tragedy. Another survivor is Azuma Wundowa, who talks of losing her mother, and all these accounts humanize the numbers.

The broader social and political context of the attacks is also examined in the series. It also brings up uncomfortable but important questions about radicalization. It also includes the methods used to convince the four young British men involved to commit such crimes.

The documentary explores the circumstances that could have contributed to their transformation, and all this is done without endorsing their actions.

The repercussions, such as heightened surveillance, public anxiety, and the tragic case of Jean Charles de Menezes—an innocent man who was mistakenly shot by police—are also not overlooked in the series and this delicately handled scenario. It also highlights the unforeseen consequences of impulsive decisions taken in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

Visually, the series is elegant and polite and uses all the old news videos, exquisite graphic overlays, and modest theatrical recreations to communicate events clearly and efficiently.

Overall, Attack on London: Hunting The 7/7 Bombers provides more than just a historical record. It encourages contemplation, promotes understanding, and guarantees that the tales of those affected are not forgotten. It is required watching for everyone who wants to understand not only what happened on July 7, 2005, but why it is still relevant today.


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Edited by Ishita Banerjee