Unabomber

What’s it about?

A thriller about the making of a real-life killer: Ted Kaczynski. He transformed from a Harvard prodigy into the infamous Unabomber, who carried out a nationwide bombing campaign in the US from 1978 to 1995, killing three people and injuring 23.

The facts 

• Directed by Janus Metz (Andor)
• Starring Jacob Tremblay (Good Boys), Shailene Woodley (Paradise), and Russell Crowe (Thor: Love & Thunder)
• English language 
• Runtime: 100 minutes

Why did it get this rating? 

This film was self-rated by Netflix. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Violence

The film retells the true story of the man known as the Unabomber, who killed three and injured 23 people in 16 attacks over the course of nearly 20 years.

The film depicts one victim's death in an explosion, though we are not shown the body. We do see news footage describing the other bombings, and this contains verbal descriptions and images of some injuries of the other victims, including briefly seeing someone's healed but scarred arm, which has partially lost fingers, and brief shots of scars and wounds on other victims.

We see psychological experiments Kaczynski participated in as a teenager at Harvard, where adults he looked up to as mentors allowed him to be psychologically mistreated, through bullying under observation.

Offensive language

There is moderate use of offensive language, particularly in times of stress. This includes terms like "sh*t" and "f*ck", as well as "goddamn" and "Jesus".

A derogatory term for disabled people is used. This slur is used in a cruel context against a teenager.

When content stays with you

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

• 1737
• Safe to talk
• Lifeline
• Youthline

Further information 

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?