Netflix's new thriller Unabomber reached No. 1 on the streamer's worldwide movie chart within days of its Sept. 25 release. According to FlixPatrol figures reported by Men's Journal, it also topped the charts in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and other countries, even though critics were harsh.
The film is inspired by the true story of Ted Kaczynski, the math prodigy who became the Unabomber. His mail bombs killed three people and injured more than 20. Jacob Tremblay plays the young Kaczynski, with Russell Crowe as Harvard professor Henry Murray and Shailene Woodley as an FBI agent, a character reviewers say is fictionalized. Directed by Janus Metz, the film moves between his student days at Harvard and the FBI manhunt that led to his arrest.
So why is it winning anyway? ScreenRant points to the notorious true-crime subject and the star-studded cast as major draws. The reception is mixed, though. According to ScreenRant, Rotten Tomatoes lists a 22% critics' score and a 32% audience score. Reviewers generally praised the performances, especially Tremblay and Crowe, while criticizing the manhunt storyline.
Should families watch? Unabomber is Rated R, so it isn't a family movie night pick. It also tells a story about real people who lost their lives, and many viewers will want to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers.
Related Article: Netflix's "Unabomber" Is Available Today: Russell Crowe and Jacob Tremblay Confront a Disturbing Harvard Experiment
Quick facts
- Release date: Sept. 25, 2026
- Where to watch: Netflix
- Rating: R
- Director: Janus Metz
- Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley, Annabelle Wallis
