Netflix has unveiled the first look at its upcoming film UNABOMBER, giving audiences a glimpse into a dark true crime story centered on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. The streaming giant has also announced that the trailer will arrive tomorrow, with Russell Crowe, Jacob Tremblay and Shailene Woodley leading the cast.
Netflix shared the first look with the intriguing caption, “Before the headlines, there was the mind behind them. Russell Crowe, Jacob Tremblay, and Shailene Woodley star in UNABOMBER — trailer tomorrow.” The announcement immediately puts the focus on the psychological journey behind the headlines, rather than simply the crimes that eventually made Ted Kaczynski infamous.
Russell Crowe plays Harvard professor Henry Murray, while Jacob Tremblay portrays a young Ted Kaczynski. Shailene Woodley stars as FBI agent Joanne Miller, who becomes connected to the investigation and the extensive manhunt that followed. The casting brings together three performers known for taking on complex and demanding dramatic roles.
UNABOMBER uses a dual-timeline structure to explore Kaczynski’s transformation from a gifted young mathematics prodigy into the man at the centre of a decades-long investigation. The narrative looks back at his time at Harvard and the controversial psychological experiments conducted there, while also following the FBI’s painstaking efforts to identify and capture the bomber.
The first look imagery appears to lean heavily into the film’s psychological themes. The posters overlay the faces of the principal cast with bomb schematics, creating a striking visual connection between scientific curiosity, the human mind and the destructive path that followed. The imagery suggests that the film will be as interested in understanding the person behind the case as it is in recounting the investigation.
Crowe’s portrayal of Henry Murray could prove particularly significant to the story, given the film’s focus on the psychological experiments involving Kaczynski. The narrative appears set to explore the complicated questions surrounding the young prodigy’s experiences and the factors that contributed to his eventual radicalisation, while placing those events within the wider historical context.
At the same time, Woodley’s FBI character brings the investigation into focus. The manhunt for the Unabomber became one of the FBI’s longest and most challenging investigations, eventually involving years of analysis and the painstaking examination of evidence. The film appears to use that investigation as a second narrative thread alongside Kaczynski’s earlier life.
Jacob Tremblay’s casting as the younger Kaczynski adds another intriguing dimension to the project. The actor has previously taken on emotionally demanding roles at a young age, and UNABOMBER will require him to portray a character whose early intellectual promise stands in stark contrast to the person he would eventually become.
Inspired by true events, UNABOMBER is rated R and is scheduled to release on Netflix on September 25, 2026. The film appears designed as a tense psychological crime drama, combining elements of biography, investigation and historical thriller.
With the trailer arriving tomorrow, audiences will soon get a much closer look at how the filmmakers have approached one of the most disturbing and controversial criminal stories of modern American history. The first look has already raised questions about the relationship between genius, psychology and obsession — and the upcoming trailer could reveal just how deeply the film intends to explore them.
UNABOMBER premieres on Netflix on September 25, 2026.