The critics’ view – Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers

Many congratulations to Duncan Coates, Showrunner and Co-Executive Producer of the chilling Netflix series ATTACK ON LONDON: HUNTING THE 7/7 BOMBERS which has received a slew of great reviews and commentary in the press since its launch at the start of the month. The four-part series provides an immersive minute-by-minute account of events surrounding the July 2005 terror attacks and the hunt to find those responsible. It features exclusive interviews, unseen archive and powerful first-person accounts – including from survivors, victim’s families, people who knew the bombers, police investigators, and the authorities responsible for the government’s response including then head of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Buller and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The series is available to stream now on Netflix.

“Netflix is not always known for its restraint in the documentary genre, but with its outstanding recent film ‘Grenfell: Uncovered’, and now Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers’, it appears to be finding a new maturity and seriousness in the field… This is not simply a police procedural – and that strengthens it greatly. It is impressively comprehensive, taking in the political and media climate of the time.”

Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian ★ ★ ★ ★

“Rather than simply recount the horrors, ‘Attack on London’ examines their impact on the city and culture at large. Through survivor testimony, previously unseen footage and plain-speaking narration, the documentary goes on to trace the investigation that followed, and the social and political aftershocks that still ripple across British society and reshaped the place of Muslims within it.”

Leila Latif, Hyphen (not rated)

“Often Netflix documentaries feel aimed for an international audience, but this felt true to the heightened experiences of all Londoners: the sheer confusion, screams, dust and wretched smoke from those directly affected alongside everybody’s real fears of another attack.”

Ben Dowell, The Times ★ ★ ★ ★

“A commuter, Dan Biddle… describes in vivid detail how he felt his life ebbing away, alone in the tunnel, only to be saved by a fellow passenger and ex-military medic who found him there and refused to leave his side. The documentary takes us back to a very dark place, but is also a testament to kindness and courage.”

Anita Singh, The Telegraph ★ ★ ★ ★

“This carefully considered documentary, directed by Liza Williams, conveys the unimaginable while stopping short of the sensational… these terrible events and their extensive aftermath deserve to be thoughtfully and carefully documented, and this series does it with exceptional poise.”

Miranda Collinge, Esquire Magazine (not rated)