UNABOMBER
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with careThis film
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with careThis film
- 35–59Think it through
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why 0 for this film
The film condemns both the unethical experiments and the terrorism they are said to have fed, but critics found its psychological explanation unconvincing and it offers little moral or redemptive framework.
- +2Affirms faithPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralThis filmNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this film is for each age group.
Why 15+ for this film
Strong language, including f-words and a cruel slur for disabled people, and a bombing that kills someone off-screen. Sustained psychological abuse of a teen and suicide references.
- Under 8No
- Ages 8–12No
- Ages 13–15Wait
- Ages 16–17Check first
- AdultsYes
A sombre crime drama linking real Harvard experiments on a teenage Ted Kaczynski to his later bombings, with moderate strong language and brief but real-feeling violence. Expect themes of ethics and true crime.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageModerate strong language
Strong language including f-words and s-words, mostly in tense moments. A cruel slur for disabled people is aimed at a teenager.
BlasphemySome exclamations
God's and Jesus' names are used as exclamations on several occasions.
Sex and nudityNone
There is no sexual content.
RelationshipsStrained family ties
The focus is on Ted's estrangement from his family rather than romance; there are no affairs.
ViolenceBombings, brief injuries
A mailed package explodes in a home and a victim is killed, though the body is not shown. News footage briefly shows real-looking injuries such as missing fingers and scars.
Frightening scenesTense and disturbing
The opening bombing and the psychological mistreatment of a teenager create sustained unease rather than horror.
Drugs and alcoholNone
There is no drug or alcohol content.
AttitudesAbuse shown critically
Adult researchers let a teenager be bullied and verbally broken down while they observe. The film presents this as harmful and as part of what shaped a killer, not as admirable.
OccultNone
There is no witchcraft, magic, fortune-telling or contact with the dead. The story deals with psychology, crime and anti-technology ideology.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Bombing violence
The film opens by following a mailed package into a home, where it explodes and kills the person who opens it. The body is not shown.
- Early
Psychological abuse of a minorSkip if under 15
As a teenager at Harvard, Ted is put through confrontational sessions in which adult mentors let him be bullied and verbally broken down while they observe.
- Mid
Strong language and slur
Ted is called a cruel slur for disabled people, and strong language comes up in tense exchanges around the experiments.
- Mid
Ethics and responsibility
Ted grows more isolated from family and friends, and Christiana Morgan voices doubts about the methods while Murray carries on.
- Mid
Injury imagery
News footage in the FBI strand describes other bombings and briefly shows victims' injuries, including a scarred arm with missing fingers.
- Late
Family conflict
Ted's brother David and his wife wrestle with whether to report their suspicions about the manifesto, putting family loyalty against public safety.
- Late
Suicide mentioned
Closing titles state that Ted later took his own life in prison.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
In 1958, Ted Kaczynski, a gifted sixteen-year-old maths student, arrives at Harvard and joins a series of psychological studies run by Professor Henry Murray and Christiana Morgan. Under the cover of academic study, he is questioned and pushed hard about his beliefs. Decades later, an FBI agent, Joanne Miller, hunts a mail bomber known as the Unabomber, studying his writings for clues to who he is. The film moves between the two periods and asks how a gifted, awkward young man became one of America's most notorious criminals.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
This film asks what happens when people with power treat a vulnerable young person as a subject to be studied rather than a person to be loved. Scripture treats the care of the young seriously, and warns those who cause the little ones to stumble. It also speaks of the strong bearing with the weak instead of pleasing themselves. The researchers' detachment, as the dialogue describes it, is the opposite of that. Joseph's brothers, who turned on a sibling out of envy and hardness of heart, offer a parallel for the breakdown of family ties and the long damage it does. The film also shows that wounds do not excuse violence, and the Bible is clear that human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. Cain's story shows the choice remains with the person, and that God holds out a warning before sin takes hold. The film's ideas about technology and society can prompt a thoughtful conversation about what truly makes human life good, while its claim that abuse explains a killer is a point families may want to weigh for themselves.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
2 out of 9 fruits ripe in this film
Ripe grapes are shown in the film, buds are missing
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Goodness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
The film is dominated by works of the flesh. Hatred and fits of anger drive the bomber's campaign, and strife and divisions mark Ted's estrangement from his family and his clashes with his mentors. Envy of a society he resents also shapes his outlook. Small glimmers of kindness appear in a mentor troubled by the experiments' effects and in a family that cannot ignore what it recognises, while faithfulness is tested in the brother who must weigh truth against loyalty to blood.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Henry MurrayRussell CroweA Harvard professor leading the experiments. He is confident and driven by research, and the film questions how far his methods crossed an ethical line.
Ted KaczynskiJacob TremblayA brilliant, socially awkward teenager at Harvard, later the reclusive bomber. The film shows him growing more isolated and angry towards modern society.
Joanne MillerShailene WoodleyAn FBI agent who analyses the bomber's language and beliefs, convinced that his words can lead investigators to him.
Christiana MorganAnnabelle WallisMurray's colleague on the experiments. She grows uneasy about the methods and what they are doing to Ted.
How Christians are portrayed
Faith and the church play no clear part in the story, which is concerned with psychology, ethics and ideology. No Christian characters are prominent, so there is neither mockery nor endorsement of belief.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
It rewards reviews that help other families decide, not how many someone writes. It's a sign others have found their reviews thoughtful, not a verdict on anyone's faith.
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Details
Film details
- On streaming
- Sep 25, 2026
- Cast
- Russell Crowe, Jacob Tremblay, Shailene Woodley, Annabelle Wallis
- Director
- Janus Metz
- Studios
- MRC, 2.0 Entertainment
- Genre
- Thriller, Drama, Crime
- Run time
- 1h 41m
- Age rating
- US R · UK 15
How we analysed this
We gathered the plot and reception, and facts that independent sources agree on, then rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: low.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (2.24) + 8 × worldview (0) = 64
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14