The chilling story behind one of America’s most infamous criminal investigations is coming to Netflix.
Netflix is taking audiences deep into one of the most disturbing chapters in American history with Unabomber, and the streaming giant has officially released the first trailer for the upcoming true-crime thriller.
Starring Jacob Tremblay as Ted Kaczynski, Unabomber explores the transformation of a brilliant young mathematician into the man who would ultimately become known as the Unabomber, while examining the experiences that shaped his path long before the FBI began its historic manhunt.
Joining Tremblay are Russell Crowe, who portrays Harvard professor Henry Murray, and Shailene Woodley, who stars as FBI agent Joanne Miller. And from the first look, Netflix isn’t simply telling the story of the manhunt. It’s going back to the beginning.
Before There Was The Unabomber
Inspired by true events, Unabomber follows Kaczynski from his teenage years at Harvard through the investigation that eventually led authorities to him. The trailer places particular emphasis on Kaczynski’s time at Harvard, where he was subjected to controversial psychological experiments overseen by Professor Henry Murray. That period becomes an important piece of the film’s larger examination of ambition, isolation and psychological experimentation and the devastating consequences that can follow.
Netflix’s official synopsis states:
“Inspired by true events, Unabomber follows Ted Kaczynski’s transformation from Harvard prodigy into the infamous Unabomber.”
Decades later, FBI agent Joanne Miller becomes part of the massive investigation attempting to identify the person responsible for a series of bombings that had terrorized the country for years. The result is a story that moves between Kaczynski’s past and the FBI’s increasingly urgent search for answers.
Jacob Tremblay Steps Into A Disturbing Role
For Tremblay, Unabomber represents a dramatic departure from many of the roles that first introduced him to audiences. The actor takes on the complicated task of portraying Kaczynski across different periods of his life, requiring the performance to explore the individual before and after his transformation into a domestic terrorist.
Meanwhile, Crowe brings his considerable dramatic presence to the role of Murray, while Woodley portrays the FBI agent at the center of the investigation. The supporting cast includes Annabelle Wallis as Christiana Morgan, along with Alexander Ludwig, Steven Ogg and Marc Menchaca.
Behind the camera, Janus Metz directs the film following his work on Borg vs. McEnroe and All the Old Knives. The screenplay comes from Sam Chalsen and Nelson Greaves, with Sophie Cassidy producing for 2.0 Entertainment in association with MRC.
The Harvard Years Become The Bigger Story
What makes Unabomber particularly intriguing is that the film isn’t solely interested in the FBI investigation. Metz has previously explained that he was drawn to the lesser-known chapter of Kaczynski’s life at Harvard.
The director noted that the FBI’s hunt for the Unabomber was its longest and most expensive operation at the time, but what truly caught his attention was discovering what happened before the infamous case ever existed. That gives Unabomber an opportunity to explore a question that true-crime stories often struggle with:
How does someone become the person the world eventually fears?
Of course, examining that question doesn’t excuse the horrific crimes committed by Kaczynski. Instead, the film appears positioned to examine the history, circumstances and psychological factors surrounding his transformation while keeping the consequences of his actions firmly in view. And that’s where the story becomes more than another manhunt thriller.
Netflix Is Betting On The True-Crime Audience
True crime continues to dominate the streaming landscape, but Unabomber arrives with a recognizable cast and a story that has already captured public fascination for decades. The film also arrives with a built-in historical mystery. The Unabomber investigation became one of the most extensive criminal investigations in American history, eventually ending after Kaczynski’s identity was revealed and authorities captured him in 1996.
Now Netflix is bringing that story to the screen through a feature-length dramatic lens. At 1 hour and 38 minutes, Unabomber appears designed to move quickly between the psychological drama surrounding Kaczynski’s formative years and the FBI investigation that ultimately brought his decades-long campaign to an end.
The film is rated R and is categorized by Netflix as a drama and thriller based on real life. Whether audiences are drawn in by the true-crime elements, the psychological mystery or the performances, one thing is for sure: this is not a story where the ending is the mystery. The real question is how we get there. And Netflix appears ready to take viewers along for the disturbing journey.
Watch The Official Trailer
Unabomber premieres globally on Netflix September 25th, 2026.
What do you think of the first trailer? Will Unabomber be making your Netflix watchlist when it arrives? Let us know in the comments and stay locked into The Feature Presentation for more film, television and entertainment coverage.