'Unabomber' Review: Does Jacob Tremblay Make This Dark Drama Worth Watching?

Unabomber is a Netflix true-crime drama directed by Janus Metz and starring Jacob Tremblay, Russell Crowe and Shailene Woodley. The film follows the young Ted Kaczynski during his years at Harvard and the FBI investigation that eventually leads to the manhunt for the Unabomber.

It focuses on Kaczynski's relationship with psychology professor Henry Murray and the controversial experiments he underwent as a student. The film has strong performances and an interesting subject, but the storytelling feels too simplified and the FBI portions do not always have the same impact as the Harvard storyline.

Unabomber Movie Details

The film has a runtime of around 1 hour and 40 minutes and was released on Netflix on 25 September 2026. It is inspired by true events and combines the Harvard years of Ted Kaczynski with the FBI investigation into the Unabomber.

Unabomber Story Overview

Ted Kaczynski (Jacob Tremblay) is a teenage math prodigy attending Harvard University and having problems adjusting to his environment. His smartness sets him apart from the other students at university, while his inability to connect with others only makes him more and more lonely. In Harvard, Ted participates in psychological tests organized by Professor Henry Murray (Russell Crowe). These tests play a significant role in his early life and appear as one of the important factors influencing his psychological state.

At the same time, the plot goes further into future decades, to the investigation of the case of Unabomber by the FBI. An FBI agent named Joanne Miller (Shailene Woodley) becomes involved in searching for the man responsible for bombings. The remaining part of the plot concerns the link between Ted's period at Harvard and his subsequent transformation into the Unabomber.

Unabomber Review: An Interesting Subject That Needed More Depth

The most captivating element of Unabomber is the Harvard segment. The movie takes some time depicting the young Ted as a smart yet socially detached individual and examining his complex relationship with Professor Murray. This sinister academic environment gives a certain creepy feeling to these scenes.

Jacob Tremblay is the main asset of the film. He successfully plays the role of the young man who is intelligent, reclusive and becomes more and more disturbed with each passing minute. This actor gives more depth to these scenes than the script does. Russell Crowe's portrayal of Henry Murray also works well. This professor is portrayed as a cool yet unsettling individual, especially in the psychological experiments' scenes.

Unfortunately, the movie makes the connection of these events with the future actions of Kaczynski too straightforward. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this is a facile representation of his college days. Other critics have also mentioned that the connection between the experiments in Harvard and the future crimes is made with more certainty than the historical facts support.

The FBI storyline is another weaker portion. Shailene Woodley does what she can with the role of Joanne Miller, but these sections sometimes feel like a conventional procedural thriller. The film becomes less engaging whenever it moves away from the Harvard timeline.

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Jacob Tremblay and Russell Crowe Deliver Strong Performances

The best performance in the movie comes from Jacob Tremblay as young Ted Kaczynski. By being very reserved, he convinces viewers that Ted's solitude and his anger are natural, while the character himself is not being overdramatized.

Russell Crowe plays the authoritative role of Henry Murray, and Annabelle Wallis adds Christiana Morgan, Murray's academic colleague to the list of good supporting roles. Shailene Woodley is always reliable as Joanne Miller, the FBI agent, but not enough attention is paid to her character compared to the Harvard characters.

Technical Aspects and Visual Appeal

The Harvard parts have their own distinctive look. The university environment, dark colors, and psychology play into the creation of the feeling of discomfort during Ted's change. At the same time, the dual timeline approach is not very efficient, as it constantly takes the attention from the interesting parts related to Ted's studies at Harvard.

Better concentration would do good for the character analysis. The movie is still relatively short – about 1 hour and 40 minutes, which means that the attempts of showing both the early life of Kaczynski and the following hunt were limited by time constraints.

What Are the Weak Points?

• Shallow character study
• Uneven FBI storyline
• Simplified historical connections
• Rushed narrative

Is Unabomber Worth Watching?

Watch it if you:

• Enjoy true-crime dramas.
• Follow Jacob Tremblay's performances.
• Like psychological thrillers.
• Are interested in historical crime stories.

Skip it if you:

• Want detailed true-crime storytelling.
• Prefer character-driven dramas.
• Expect a complex investigation.
• Dislike dual-timeline narratives.

Final Verdict

Unabomber has an intriguing subject and some strong performances, especially from Jacob Tremblay and Russell Crowe. The Harvard portions create a more compelling psychological drama, while the darker academic atmosphere gives the film a distinct identity.

However, the film does not explore its central subject with enough depth. The connection between Murray's experiments and Kaczynski's later crimes is treated too simply, while the FBI storyline feels more conventional. The result is a film that is watchable but does not fully explore the complexity of the real-life story.

Rating: 2.5/5

Overall, Unabomber is a one-time watch for viewers interested in true-crime dramas, psychological stories and strong performances. Jacob Tremblay and Russell Crowe keep the film engaging, but the uneven structure and simplified storytelling limit its impact.

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