Director: Alex Scharfman
Writer: Alex Scharfman
Stars: Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Anthony Carrigan

Synopsis: Father-Daughter duo Elliott and Ridley hit a unicorn with their car and bring it to the wilderness retreat of a mega-wealthy pharmaceutical CEO.

As a distributor, A24 has developed a reputation for weirdness. Yes, their slate of films year over year has diversified, but they stick closely to that weird vibe. It’s a vibe they cultivate well, but it’s also a vibe that is getting very tired. Unfortunately, Death of a Unicorn is part of that tired wave and is a weird film that’s somehow aggressively plain.

Like most horror comedies of the past few years, Death of a Unicorn is actually about capitalism. Studios and producers latch onto the latest thing and twist it like a damp cloth, wringing it and wringing it until there’s nothing left. This particular metaphor they’re wringing too hard, at this point. Even though many of these producers and studios are aligned, at least monetarily, with the antagonist elites portrayed in the films they produce, the strangeness of their greenlighting these projects comes into focus. By seeing these films we are enriching the people we have come to cheer against. Thus, we are doing exactly as these filmmakers are attempting to warn us not to do. All anti-capitalist coded films not self-produced, then, are inherently capitalist ventures.

That is what you think about as you watch Death of a Unicorn. You think about this because what’s in front of you, in spite of the shiny new trappings, is what we’ve been seeing in these types of horror comedies the last few years. In fact, you might have seen some of the broad strokes of this plot earlier this month in the anti-capitalist sci-fi comedy Mickey 17. There’s no new take on this metaphor, barely new dialogue spoken, and the characters are, all too annoyingly familiar archetypes. The film is so predictable you’ll sigh in your theater seat as you mutter, “unicorn horn puncture in 3…2…1…”

In spite of the overall lackluster script, there are some intriguing pieces of filmmaking that make this film watchable Larry Fong is an excellent cinematographer. He can make CGI integration feel seamless, like the actors were really interacting with creatures. It is all in the angles he chooses to shoot.

Ron Dulin’s editing is also excellent. He creates some of the best “getting ready to leave” montages here. Whether it’s getting from the airport to a secluded compound or packing the essentials for escape from the same compound now overrun with unicorns, these quick time lapses are delightful. His best work is unable to be described in full because it would be a spoiler, but suffice it to say he creates a terrific set up whose payoff is one of the least predictable parts of the film.

There were some standouts among the cast as well. Will Poulter as the heir to the pharmaceutical business, Shepherd, is zany and off beat. He steals every scene he’s in and while his jokes don’t always land quite right, you can’t help but chuckle at his timing or a look he shoots at his scene partners. Though, the best character is weary and put upon Griff, played by Anthony Carrigan. Carrigan’s timing, physicality, and expressive face make him the best person to watch in the background. The way he sighs with both exhaustion and disdain is absolutely perfect.

It’s hard to seem even-handed, but, even though it’s predictable, not scary, and the jokes are overcooked, Death of a Unicorn isn’t a bad watch. It’s a film that has good qualities in a banal package. Which, again, banal isn’t the word you want when your characters are fighting over and running from unicorns. Your mileage may vary with this one.

Grade: C

“Death of a Unicorn,” A24’s latest absurdist horror-comedy, has divided audiences ever since its premiere at South By Southwest film festival March 8. 

On paper, it certainly checks all the boxes one would expect from a movie of its genre and A24 archetype, including a stacked cast capable of drawing in audiences on name value alone: Paul Rudd (“Ant-Man”), Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) and Will Poulter (“Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3”) all make notable appearances, among others. But the concept of “Death of a Unicorn” is so promising that it was always going to leave a gap between expectations and reality by the time the credits rolled. 

In the film, Rudd plays a single father named Elliot who drags his brooding daughter Ridley (Ortega) to the manor of his employer, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), an exorbitantly wealthy and elderly pharmaceutical CEO on his last leg. 

During the drive to the manor, Elliot’s plans to curry favor with Leopold take a left turn when they run over a unicorn, whose blood and horn are imbued with mystical healing powers. 

Ridley soon becomes the last line of defense against the greed of Leopold’s family — including Will Poulter as the CEO’s tech-bro son, Shepard Leopold — who all want to find and kill the rest of the unicorns to harvest their organs and sell them to their wealthy compatriots as miracle cures.

“Death of a Unicorn” is most enjoyable when it’s not read too deeply as a film attempting to make a nuanced statement on corporate American greed. It’s far from subtle in this regard, trampling audiences with basic political commentary that feels like a baby’s first “Eat The Rich” class awakening.

It doesn’t help that Ortega has been painfully type cast once again as the subordinate, anti-establishment teenager — an archetype audiences and perhaps even herself have been growing increasingly tired of.

Instead, “Death of a Unicorn” is best analyzed through the lens of an elevated horror-comedy with some witty dialogue, especially from Poulter, and some genuinely tense creature-horror scenes.

When older and much scarier-looking unicorns begin to seek revenge on the characters for experimenting on their almost-roadkill child, “Death of a Unicorn” begins to dip its toes into the under-utilized cosmic horror genre, which is the film’s strong point. Though it never gets quite as weird as it had the potential to be, there’s never a dull moment across the movie’s second half.

The creature designs of the unicorns are fascinating, with just enough of a twist on the classic fairy-tale prototype to fit comfortably within the horror genre. And the dynamic between the families — including a delightfully passive-aggressive performance from Téa Leoni as Leopold’s wife Belina — is enough to carry the movie, even in the absence of the unicorns. 

“Death of a Unicorn” is reminiscent of 2023’s internet darling “Saltburn” in more than one way; from its upper-class family drama to its shock value and vague political commentary, fans of this subgenre won’t leave the theater feeling disappointed. 

“Death of a Unicorn” is a fun hour-and-a-half — carried by a charismatic cast, visually interesting set and captivating creature design — but it might make audiences who wish for a deeper commentary in their movies a bit skittish.

Rating: 3.5/5