Ted K, 2022.
Directed by Tony Stone.
Starring Sharlto Copley, Drew Powell, Bob Jennings, Christian Calloway, Tahmus Rounds, Sal Rendino, Amber Rose Mason, Wayne Pyle, Megan Folsom, Travis W Bruyer, Keith Barber, and Steve Garfanti.
SYNOPSIS:
An exploration of Ted Kaczynksi’s life in Lincoln, Montana in the years leading up to his arrest as The Unabomber.
Despite his unchecked insanity and acts of violence committed on society, ecoterrorist Ted Kaczynski may have been onto something. That seems to be the point of writer and director Tony Stone’s Ted K (with co-writing credits attributed to Gaddy Davis and John Rosenthal), if there is one (something I went back and forth debating in my head for a while after the credits rolled). His actions across 17 years (1978 to 1995) should and will forever be condemned, but a wholly transformative and deeply unsettling performance from acting chameleon Sharlto Copley offers up an unnerving humanizing, especially with narration lines (it’s important to note that much of the voiceover dialogue is taken straight from Ted Kaczynski’s actual logs) concerning the future of the planet and societies dependency on technology. They are both the musings of a madman and somewhere in the ballpark worth heeding.
Tony Stone’s direction is also fully committed to Ted Kaczynski to the point where any interactions with other humans in the outside world are kept brief and to a minimum, and such a degree that it’s worth questioning what’s real and what’s not. For the most part, it’s a one-person show from Sharlto Copley with every creative decision (such an intentionally disorienting soundscape from Blanck Mass that works disturbing wonders drawing viewers into the darker recesses of Ted’s mind) intended to remain locked into that perspective. No side characters are trying to uncover the identity of the Unabomber (which is an odd third act choice considering the ending credits make sure to point out that it resulted in the largest manhunt in FBI history); Ted K is two hours of a warped mind.
It’s also fair to state that mileage will vary with that tonal approach. The man is psychologically damaged from the opening moments of Ted Kaczynski driven to rage at snowmobilers disrupting his peaceful off-the-grid existence in the Montana woods. One could also say it’s a bold choice in itself to start with Ted in that frame of mind considering he was once a university teacher with a promising future despite a lifetime of social awkwardness. The more his life is impacted by noise (airplanes are another major source of frustration) and technological advancements, the more it drives him to act violently.
And so we follow Ted Kaczynski learning and failing crafting mail bombs until he is successful. Occasionally, there is a phone call to his unseen and unheard brother David requesting money while berating his sibling for settling down and getting married (Ted also has a blatant disrespect for women throughout). Additionally, he spies on couples in intimacy while having interactions of his own (work environments and with a woman) seemingly imagined versions of reality.
As Ted Kaczynski gains notoriety and eventually kills, the film also starts to slip into a repetitive cycle that repeats the same talking points of the character, suggesting that it’s not entirely sustainable without anything else going on (whether it be a subplot involving his estranged family or the FBI). It’s also difficult to feel anything for the victims considering the story keeps us at arm’s length from anything outside Ted, which is an issue that builds on top of itself considering the 17-year passage of time is barely felt. Making up for this stagnant pacing is rich wilderness cinematography from Nathan Corbin and Ethan Palmer, also capturing a mood of discomfort. There is also a wickedly funny segment involving Ted seeking compensation for malfunctioning payphones ripping him off, demonstrating that perhaps a blacker comedic tone could have alleviated some of this persistent repetition.
When Ted K comes to its rather anticlimactic ending, there is also a sense that Tony Stone has only scratched the surface of who this psychopath was and why there may have been something worth listening to among his actions, as uncomfortable as that sounds. Ted asserts that he doesn’t want to murder and that it’s a means to an end, something he associates with benefiting nature. Beyond a transfixing turn from Sharlto Copley, Ted K remains as emotionally isolating as its subject. Still, it’s an undeniably compelling watch.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
