Los Angeles: Netflix's Unabomber became the platform's most watched film worldwide a day after its release, according to streaming data tracker FlixPatrol. The film reached number one in 51 territories, including US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and Italy.

Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen, Unabomber follows Ted Kaczynski from his years as a Harvard student to the FBI investigation that led to his arrest. Jacob Tremblay portrays Kaczynski as a student, while Russell Crowe plays Harvard psychologist Henry Murray. Shailene Woodley plays FBI agent Joanne Miller.

The film has received a 21 percent critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score stands at 31 percent.

Its release has also drawn criticism from Jonathan Epstein, whose father, Dr Charles Epstein, was injured by a bomb sent by Kaczynski in 1993. Epstein criticised the film's use of the “inspired by true events” label and argued that its portrayal offered explanations for Kaczynski's actions that could shift attention away from his victims.

Kaczynski carried out a bombing campaign between 1978 and 1995 that killed three people and injured 23. His identity was uncovered after his brother and sister in law recognised elements of his writing in a manifesto published by The Washington Post and The New York Times.

He was arrested in Montana in 1996 and pleaded guilty in 1998, receiving eight life sentences without parole. He died in federal custody in 2023. The film's position on Netflix's charts comes as the platform continues to release productions based on criminal cases, including Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, which premiered earlier this month.