Thescreescore – Russell Crowe, an actor synonymous with powerful performances and cinematic gravitas, finds his latest Netflix offering, Unabomber, ensnared in a web of critical disappointment and audience disfavor. The true-crime biopic, which delves into the enigmatic life of Ted Kaczynski, has premiered to a strikingly low 22% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, mirrored by a mere 32% audience score – a figure that shockingly ties with 1995’s Virtuosity as one of Crowe’s poorest-rated films in over two decades, according to data compiled by thescreescore.com.
This latest cinematic endeavor attempts to chart the complex trajectory of domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, with Jacob Tremblay portraying the younger Kaczynski and Crowe stepping into the shoes of Harvard professor Henry Murray, who subjected Kaczynski to controversial psychological experiments. Unlike previous portrayals that often focused solely on Kaczynski’s criminal acts, director Janus Metz Pedersen’s Unabomber employs a dual-timeline narrative, exploring both his formative years at Harvard and the later FBI investigation. However, this ambitious structural choice has proven to be the film’s undoing, with critics and viewers alike citing uneven pacing and a narrative that struggles to maintain engagement. Furthermore, the film has drawn scrutiny for its historical inaccuracies, notably the controversial gender-swapping of a key FBI character, originally male, now portrayed by Shailene Woodley. Despite these significant flaws, the performances of Crowe and Tremblay have frequently been singled out as the film’s redeeming qualities, offering glimpses of the talent otherwise overshadowed by the production’s shortcomings.
The stark contrast in reception becomes even more apparent when Unabomber is weighed against its predecessor, Discovery Channel’s 2017 limited series Manhunt. That critically acclaimed production, starring Paul Bettany as Kaczynski and Sam Worthington as FBI profiler Jim "Fitz" Fitzgerald, was lauded for its innovative storytelling, intellectual depth, and educational approach, achieving stellar Rotten Tomatoes scores of 93% from critics and 92% from audiences. Ironically, Netflix itself has acquired the rights to Manhunt, making its superior portrayal of the same subject matter readily available to subscribers, inadvertently highlighting the deficiencies of its own new release.
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For Russell Crowe, Unabomber caps off a particularly prolific 2026, a year that has yielded a mixed bag of cinematic fortunes. While films like The Weight and Beast garnered positive reviews, others such as The Get Out and this latest Netflix offering have struggled to connect with critics and audiences. Notably, Unabomber marks Crowe’s first leading role in a Netflix original feature, following an uncredited cameo in Brad Pitt’s War Machine. Despite this recent stumble, Crowe remains one of Hollywood’s most in-demand talents. His upcoming slate is robust, featuring a return to the historical epic with The Last Druid in mid-2027, the spy thriller Billion Dollar Spy currently in post-production, and a highly anticipated reunion with Man of Steel star Henry Cavill in the Highlander reboot, where he is set to portray the iconic character of Ramírez, previously embodied by Sean Connery.
Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen from a script co-penned by Sam Chalsen and Nelson Greaves, Unabomber also features a supporting ensemble including Annabelle Wallis, Alexander Ludwig, Steven Off, Marc Menchaca, and Gus Halper. The film is currently available for streaming on Netflix, inviting viewers to form their own conclusions on this divisive true-crime narrative.
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