Russell Crowe's Unabomber Thriller Becomes Netflix Hit Despite 27% Rotten Tomatoes Score

A psychological thriller starring Russell Crowe and Jacob Tremblay has become a major hit on Netflix, even as critics have largely dismissed it. The film, which features Tremblay as Ted Kaczynski and Crowe as a Harvard professor, has found a sizable audience on the streaming service.

Directed by Janus Metz, the movie holds a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes, a stark contrast to its apparent popularity with viewers. The gap between critical reception and streaming success is a familiar pattern in the Netflix ecosystem, where algorithm-driven discovery can propel titles that reviewers overlook.

The film's premise draws on the true story of Kaczynski, the domestic terrorist known as the Unabomber, and his relationship with a Harvard professor. That subject matter places it alongside a recent wave of true-crime content that has performed well on streaming platforms.

A growing true-crime wave

A few weeks ago, Hulu debuted the series Furious, which holds a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that true-crime fare can also earn strong reviews. Netflix itself created the anthology series Monster, inspired by infamous serial killers, further cementing the genre's hold on streaming audiences.

Collider reported on the film's Netflix success. For now, the Russell Crowe and Jacob Tremblay thriller stands as another example of how streaming viewership and critical scores often tell very different stories.