Is ‘The Town’ Based on a True Story?

After proving himself as a filmmaker with his 2007 feature directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck delivered another gripping crime thriller with his 2010 film The Town. The actor-director stars in the movie as Doug MacRay, the leader of a ruthless gang of bank robbers. His life is soon upended when he unexpectedly falls in love with his close confidante James’ (Jeremy Renner) hostage, a bank employee named Claire (Blake Lively).

The Town unfolds in the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown, which the prologue claims “has produced more bank robbers and armored car thieves than anywhere else in the world.” But how much of the film is actually based on real events?

Here’s what to know:

Is The Town based on a true story?

Not exactly. The Town is actually loosely based on Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves. However, Affleck did his own research into Charlestown in hopes of making the movie as accurate as possible. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this involved talking to residents, visiting local prisons, and consulting with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force in Boston.

Are the characters in The Town based on real people?

While the characters in The Town aren’t directly based on actual people, Affleck did recruit actual ex-cons in Boston to serve as extras in the movie and help boost its authenticity. The actor and director later got in trouble with law enforcement for giving felons “guns,” but he clarified that the weapons were fake.

Is The Town streaming? Where to watch The Town:

Yep! The Town is available to stream on HBO Max, or on Peacock with a premium subscription.

Where to watch The Town