Unabomber Netflix review:
Movie: Unabomber
Director: Janus Metz
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley, Annabelle Wallis, Alexander Ludwig, Steven Ogg, Marc Menchaca
OTT Release: Netflix
The Netflix movie, Unabomber, comes with a storyline that almost makes the film itself. The biography of Ted Kaczynski is intriguing enough, but the big question is how much fresh material can be added to the film. Fortunately, there is a lot in this movie that succeeds.
The movie alternates between the story of Ted Kaczynski when he was young and the investigation conducted by the FBI in relation to Unabomber. Jacob Tremblay stars in young Ted, while Russell Crowe plays the role of Professor Henry Murray, whose psychological tests at Harvard University play an essential role in the movie.
To be honest, it is the Harvard segment of the film that attracted my attention the most.
Jacob Tremblay shows us a very uncomfortable and unsettling character. At first, you do not see him as a typical villain, which makes the character even more disturbing. It is interesting to watch how Ted Kaczynski deals with his isolation and anger, while knowing what the end result will be.
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The portrayal by Russell Crowe also does not disappoint. He has the right amount of gravitas and charisma, and the sequences with Tremblay rank as some of the best in the movie.
As for Shailene Woodley, she portrays the FBI agent who attempts to decode the mind of the Unabomber through his writings and manifesto. The investigation is fascinating, but here the movie gets a bit off the pace.
The frequent changes in chronology do not always come out smooth enough, with the picture sometimes looking like two different stories being connected at the end of each other.
That said, the subject matter keeps pulling you back in.
What I liked about the film is that it does not just make Kaczynski another typical movie villain, but explores his isolation, obsession and background. On the other hand, it does not completely absolve or glamorize the actions which Kaczynski performed in the end.
The supporting actors like Annabelle Wallis, Alexander Ludwig, Steven Ogg and Marc Menchaca add to the atmosphere, although some characters have less time to develop.
Visually, the film is quite cold and serious, and this style fits perfectly into the story. There is no need for any spectacular action scenes in this film. The suspense lies in the fact that the viewer knows that this quiet and isolated young man will end up being one of the most notorious criminals in the US.
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Is Unabomber flawless? It is not. The tempo can be irregular, and the psychological reasons for what happened are somewhat simplistic. Nevertheless, the performances by Jacob Tremblay and Russell Crowe are enough reason to continue watching.
If you enjoy true crime series or films that show how a highly intelligent person transforms into a murderer, you will probably like this one.
Disturbing, at times, dull, but captivating nevertheless.
Though not the ultimate version of events Unabomber is a fascinating, rather disturbing, take on one of the most notorious crimes of our time that can be seen on Netflix.
