Watch Unabomber: The True Story

The movie Unabomber: The True Story directed by Jon Purdy and starring Robert Hays, Dean Stockwell, Tobin Bell, is a made-for-television biographical thriller film about the infamous Unabomber case. The movie delves into the life of Ted Kaczynski, played by Tobin Bell, who was arrested and convicted for sending letterbombs to individuals and organizations that he perceived to be against his ideology. The movie starts with Ted’s early life where he is shown as a gifted child with remarkable intelligence. He was accepted into Harvard University at the age of sixteen and was a prodigy in mathematics. He joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley, but shortly became disillusioned with academia and dropped out at the age of 25 to live in isolation in a cabin in Montana.

The story then proceeds to Kaczynski's growing anger and frustration with what he saw as the negative impact of technology on society. He began a bombing campaign in 1978 that lasted almost two decades and resulted in three deaths, several injuries, and millions of dollars in damage.

The film portrays Ted Kaczynski as a brilliant but ultimately misguided individual, who was driven to his acts of violence by a deep-seated anger and frustration with modern society. The movie captures the tension surrounding the Unabomber case, the fear that the bomber might strike again, and the intense manhunt that eventually led to his identification and arrest in 1996.

Robert Hays plays FBI agent Ben Jeffries, who leads the investigation into the Unabomber case. Jeffries is shown as a dedicated and intelligent agent who is determined to catch the Unabomber at any cost. Dean Stockwell plays David Kaczynski, Ted’s brother, and is portrayed as a sympathetic character who eventually turns his brother into the authorities.

The movie touches upon the psychological aspects of the Unabomber case, exploring the factors that contributed to Kaczynski's descent into violence. It depicts Kaczynski's complex personality as an intelligent man who is socially isolated, with a heightened sense of morality, and a deep-seated resentment towards society.

The film does an excellent job of capturing the historical context surrounding the Unabomber case. It provides insight into the attitudes towards technology and communism during the Cold War era, and how those attitudes contributed to Kaczynski's mindset.

Overall, Unabomber: The True Story is a well-made thriller that depicts the events surrounding the Unabomber case with accuracy and sensitivity. It is a poignant reminder of the devastating impact that violence has on individuals and society as a whole. The movie is an insightful portrayal of one of the most high-profile criminal cases of the 20th century and is a must-watch for anyone interested in true crime stories.

Unabomber: The True Story is a 1996 tv movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0.