Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers Review: A powerful and gripping account of the 7 July 2005 London bombings and their aftermath

Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers

‘Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers’ is a powerfully detailed and meticulously structured documentary series that revisits the horrifying London bombings of 7 July 2005, twenty years after the tragedy shook the world. Through interviews with survivors, police officers, intelligence officials, and those who were part of the investigation, this four-part Netflix series offers a thorough retelling of not just what happened, but how it was investigated and remembered. What makes it striking is not just its attention to factual detail but the emotional restraint with which it handles disturbing material.

A tragedy told with restraint

There is no sensationalism, no dramatic scoring—just raw footage, well-organised testimony, and careful storytelling that makes it as gripping as it is respectful. Spread across four episodes, the series reconstructs the timeline of the attacks, beginning with the explosion of three bombs in the London Underground and a fourth on a double-decker bus, claiming 52 lives and injuring more than 700. The use of CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, and reconstructed visuals effectively pulls the viewer back into the chaos and confusion of that day.

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Tracking the chaos and intelligence lapses

The series identifies the key locations that became synonymous with tragedy—King’s Cross Station, Aldgate, Edgware Road, and Tavistock Square—each struck by suicide bombers. What follows is a step-by-step account of the UK’s biggest counterterrorism investigation.

Less than two weeks after the initial attacks, a second wave of attempted bombings unfolded on 21 July 2005. Thankfully, none of those devices detonated. But the panic and paranoia that followed culminated in a major operational failure when police mistakenly shot and killed Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent Brazilian man, believing him to be one of the suspects.

The series carefully examines the chain of events leading to this fatal error without absolving anyone of responsibility. Equally damning is its focus on MI5’s lapses—despite two of the bombers having previously appeared on their radar, no meaningful surveillance followed. They even travelled to Pakistan for training purposes. The documentary states this plainly: it was a catastrophic intelligence failure.

Facts, failures, and lived experiences

What elevates the series is its balanced tone. While it lays out the failures of British intelligence, it doesn’t turn it into a witch hunt. Instead, it allows senior figures from that time to speak, including then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, former MI5 head Eliza Manningham-Buller, and key investigators like Jon Boutcher and Cliff Todd.

These interviews lend the series authority and transparency. But the true heart of the series lies in the accounts of survivors and the families of victims. Through their voices, we come to understand the long tail of trauma, the pain that refuses to fade, and the strength it takes to move forward.

The series also acknowledges the aftermath beyond the immediate horror—how Muslim communities across the UK faced suspicion, discrimination, and increased surveillance. It doesn’t shy away from raising tough questions: Was the UK's involvement in the Iraq War a factor in motivating the attackers? Could the radicalisation of the bombers have been prevented?

Stories that stay with you

Some of the most searing moments in the series come from those who lived through it. Mustafa Kurtuldu, a survivor of the Aldgate explosion, recounts not only the physical trauma but also the psychological burden of being questioned during a TV interview about his religion in the wake of the attack—as if being Muslim automatically aligned him with the perpetrators.

The moment is deeply uncomfortable, capturing the unease that gripped the nation. Similarly, Daniel Biddle’s recollection of losing both his legs in the Edgware Road explosion is told with heartbreaking clarity. After his interview, the camera lingers on him sitting alone in a wheelchair, framing his silence in a long, quiet shot that says more than words ever could.

A sobering reminder of what was—and wasn’t—learned

In the end, ‘Attack on London’ is not just about uncovering the facts of a crime—it’s about exploring its aftermath with honesty and compassion. It doesn’t look for easy answers or indulge in dramatic twists.

Instead, it presents a sombre, intelligent, and layered examination of how a modern society responds to trauma and how justice and failure can coexist in the same timeline. With its journalistic rigour and emotional depth, it stands out as one of the most important true-crime documentaries in recent memory. It forces you to remember, to reflect, and perhaps, to question whether we’ve truly learned anything since.

Director: Liza Williams Rating: 4/5

(‘Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers’ is streaming on Netflix)