With its intense heist scenes, complex characters, and a plot set in the seedy streets of Charlestown, Massachusetts, Ben Affleck’s 2010 crime drama “The Town” kept viewers on the edge of their seats.

The film had its global premiere on September 8, 2010, at the Venice Film Festival, and was released in theaters across the United States on September 17, 2010.

The film’s narrative revolves around a group of bank robbers and the ensuing cat-and-mouse game with law enforcement. But is “The Town” based on a true story? In this article, we will explore the real-life inspirations behind the movie and separate fact from fiction.

Is The Town Based on a True Story?

No, the town is not based on a true story. The Town is a loose adaptation of Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves. Affleck, on the other hand, conducted his own study into Charlestown in order to make the film as realistic as possible. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this entailed speaking with locals, visiting local prisons, and working with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston.

The film establishes its setting in Boston’s Charlestown in the first frame. “One blue-collar Boston neighborhood [Charlestown] has spawned more bank robbers and armored car thieves than anywhere else on the earth,” according to the preface of the book. Many people would be interested if the Charlestown bank robbery became a family business.

Was Charlestown, Massachusetts, truly a refuge for bank robbers? When the film was first released in 2010, there was some criticism of how it portrayed the residents of Charlestown. It is important to emphasize, however, that the film is solely based on Charlestown’s history and does not imply that the Boston neighborhood is today rife with crime.

Although exact data on Charlestown’s crime rate in the 1990s is unavailable, records suggest that robberies in Massachusetts peaked in the 1980s and 1990s before decreasing dramatically in the mid-aughts. Furthermore, despite the film’s hypothetical concept, it incorporates references to a variety of real-life crimes.

One of its bank robberies, for example, is based on a true-life robbery in Hudson, New Hampshire, in which two guards were killed. As a result, while the film’s representation of Charlestown appears true, its “authenticity” should be viewed with care. The purpose of the film is to create a cinematic vision of Boston that does not upset Charlestown.

Are the Town’s Characters Based on Real People?

While the characters in The Town aren’t directly based on real individuals, Affleck did hire real ex-convicts from Boston to appear as extras in the film, which added to its authenticity. Later, the actor and director were arrested for allegedly providing convicts with “guns,” but he later revealed that the weapons were forged.

Who is the Villain in the Town?

When the police finally encircle the two men, a gunshot kills Jem. Doug almost escapes capture before contacting Claire to persuade her to spend their final moments with him. That’s the end of it.

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Fergus “Fergie” Colm is the adversary. In the film The Town, Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite) is a prominent adversary. He’s a local gangster who hires Doug’s team to conduct a number of crimes. He is unquestionably one of the film’s least favorite characters. Fergie’s most famous episode demonstrates his evil nature.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while “The Town” is not based on a specific true story or real-life characters, it is deeply rooted in the atmosphere and criminal history of Charlestown, Massachusetts. The film draws inspiration from the neighborhood’s notorious past and the 1990 Gardner Museum heist to craft a gripping crime drama. “The Town” may not be a documentary, but it effectively captures the spirit of a neighborhood with a rich history of crime and criminal folklore.