The Vibe Check
Netflix is back at it with another true-crime project, but this time, the vibes are seriously off. The new drama Unabomber tries to give us the origin story of Ted Kaczynski, but it’s giving major 'filler episode' energy. Directed by Janus Metz, the film attempts to weave together two different timelines: the 1990s FBI investigation and Kaczynski’s formative freshman year at Harvard. Spoiler: they don’t blend well at all.
The Cast
Jacob Tremblay, known for Room and Wonder, steps into the role of a teenage Kaczynski. He plays him as a brilliant but socially awkward prodigy who gets caught up in a messed-up psychological experiment run by Harvard professor Henry Murray, played by Russell Crowe. While Crowe is easily the most compelling part of this movie, the script—written by Sam Chalsen and Nelson Greaves—is pretty mid. It paints Murray as the secret mastermind behind Kaczynski’s later descent into domestic terrorism, even though the evidence for that theory feels like a reach.
Meanwhile, the 90s storyline is a total snooze. We’ve got Shailene Woodley playing fictional FBI agent Joanne Miller, who is stuck dealing with the standard tropes of workplace sexism and a skeptical partner, Leo (Alexander Ludwig). It’s supposed to be a high-stakes thriller, but it feels like we’ve seen this exact procedural play out a million times before.
Why it matters
At the end of the day, Unabomber tries way too hard to psychologize Kaczynski without actually bringing anything new to the table. It glosses over the complexity of the case in favor of a polished, 'true-crime' aesthetic that doesn't really land. If you’re looking for a deep dive, this definitely isn't it—it's mostly just a rehash of the stuff we already know.
