What’s An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th about? New true crime doc explained

Here’s the true story behind the new true crime documentary, An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th, and how to stream it.

HBO’s true crime film examines one of the deadliest acts of homegrown terrorism in US history.

The new documentary releases on April 16 and is from the trusty team of Daphne Pinkerson and Marc Levin, who have produced 11 projects for HBO.

Here’s what The Road to April 19th is based on, so you can decide if the new movie is for you.

What’s An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th about?

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th is about the 1995 Oklahoma City terror attack against the U.S. Government.

The Oklahoma City bombing took place on April 19, 1995. It was the most fatal act of domestic terrorism against the U.S. government.

The Road to April 19th takes a closer look at that day. The film follows those who were there, the search for the people responsible, the critical moments of the trials, and the impact of the attack.

It’ll also take a wider look at the context surrounding the event, exploring the rise in anti-government ideals and violence in the 80s.

Is An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th worth watching?

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th is worth watching. It tackles complex issues, links socio-political issues that surrounded the bombing relevant to today, and competently tells the story of the terror attack.

The Wall Street Journal wrote, “while the timing of An American Bombing seems clearly intended to counter current political rhetoric concerning deep-state conspiracies and QAnon insanity, it is never dismissive. There are genuine causes for anger and indignation rooted in Ruby Ridge and Waco.”

The review continued, “Tracing current hard-right sentiments to the farm crisis of the ’70s, An American Bombing presents that event as a bipartisan betrayal: Richard Nixon told the farmers to plant, Jimmy Carter banned export of their crops to the Soviet Union (over the invasion of Afghanistan), and Ronald Reagan refused them a bailout. Farm failures followed, as did anger.

“What Mr. Levin and his producer, Daphne Pinkerson, do, while justifying nothing, is separate the righteously angry from the opportunistic and the people with legitimate grievances from the exploiters of those grievances. They show how, almost inevitably, an anti-government movement allied itself with hate groups of every stripe.”

How to watch An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

You can stream An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th on Max. It releases on April 16, 2024, at 9 PM ET.

Plans start at $9.99 per month, and Max is only available in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

For more, you can catch up on the best true crime of 2023 or the best serial killer documentaries. Or, explore other TV shows streaming this month.

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