Nail Bomber review: Although undeniably devastating, Netflix's documentary offers us a sense of hope as communities came together to catch David Copeland

Netflix's Nail Bomber: Manhunt tells the devastating true story from his very first attack to his trial.

While painful and incredibly difficult to watch, the one-hour documentary offers us hope following a time of utter sadness and fear, as Copeland is locked away for good after all the hurt he caused.

It shows how different groups, from writers, to the victims, and an undercover informant worked hard to track down Copeland and stop him from hurting anyone else.

Only 72 minutes long, it could be argued that Nail Bomber could be told over a series, yet the one-off doc packs an important moment in history into one, powerful film.

It begins with Copeland's first attack in the lively area of Brixton, dominated by Black communities. After a bomb went off and left many injured – including a one-year-old baby – people were petrified.

Described as "a horror in the day" by one of the contributors in the documentary you can feel the pain as victims recall the terrifying moment of the bomb going off and injuring their loved ones.

Despite the strength of the first bomb, which is explained in graphic detail, it wasn't successful in killing anyone.

But this only instilled more fear that the bomber would return – a feeling that is felt throughout the documentary.

Black people immediately identified that this was a racial attack, but the police weren't investigating far right groups.

With there being ongoing tension between the Black community and the police following the Brixton riots, you can just feel that this wasn't the end.

And the people knew it too, as one of the contributors – an editor at an Asian newspaper – reveals he knew the Asian community would be next to be targeted, as they received hate mail from racist groups.

And just like that, another bomb went off, this time in London's Brick Lane, heavily populated by Asian people.

Frustration is an absolute understatement as you watch the events unfold from the second attack.

Using archival footage and time references, Nail Bomber highlights the various attacks, showing how each group knew it was about to come, and how the police weren't able to catch up with Copeland and stop his crimes before he hurt more people.

Next was the LGBTQ+ community, who also reached out to the police, but were told the attacks were racially charged, only to later become victims of Copeland's sick plot to kill as many people as possible from groups he hated.

In one shocking scene we hear in Copeland's own words via an old police tape recording his disgust towards these groups.

“I chose the gays because I hate them. That was personal,” he says without an ounce of emotion.

It's moments like this, juxtaposed with the number of victims, which will leave you absolutely gobsmacked and reeling that this man was able to hurt so many people.

So, it's a massive relief once Copeland is eventually caught in the film, following what can only be described as a team effort from the police, but most importantly the ordinary people, including the different communities who were under attack, supporters and an informant who went by the name of Arthur.

Arthur went undercover for Searchlight and infiltrated the BNP, and he was the first person to suggest Copeland before his image was even made public by the police.

His story was one of selflessness and courage as he risked his own life to get to the bottom of this tragic case.

However, it isn't without guilt as he tells of his own journey and doubting the holocaust while being a part of this group – something which could leave many viewers feeling slightly conflicted.

We have to applaud filmmakers Colin Barr and Daniel Vernon for this honest portrayal, which is vital to the story but doesn't overshadow what it's really about: Copeland's victims.

Even after Copeland was caught, the pain didn't stop for them as he pleaded insanity, which brings us to Bernard O'Mahoney, a writer who created a fake pen pal to trap Copeland into admitting he was well.

This is perhaps the most bittersweet moment of the documentary, as Copeland essentially gets his just desserts when he falls in love with O'Mahoney's character Patsy, only to be hurt when he's exposed for who he really is, just like he hurt so many others.

While this is a happy moment, it's hard to ignore that all these people had to go through so much before justice was served.

Nevertheless, Nail Bomber ends on a positive note as the people rejoice. Despite all their suffering, a sense of hope is definitely felt, as one of the Black Brixton locals smiles: "There are more good people than bad people... haters can never win!"

Nail Bomber: Man Hunt drops on Netflix on Wednesday 26th May. To find out what’s on telly tonight, check out our TV Guide. Visit our Documentaries hub for all the latest news.