A24's Death of a Unicorn combines comedy, horror and mythology for one laugh-out-loud bloody, ridiculous good time.
Death of a Unicorn Review
Unicorns seek revenge on the rich people who thought hunting these magical creatures was a good idea. That's essentially the premise of writer-director Alex Scharfman's directorial debut Death of a Unicorn. And on that note it delivers. You have the caricature wealthy doing the absolute most at the worst possible times, the poor/average humans just trying to survive, and the creatures themselves wreaking havoc on a posh home. There are times it attempts to say something more about the haves and the have nots but that messaging gets lost in the cartoon violence that is a unicorn impaling someone.
Death of a Unicorn combines dark comedy with horror and mythology for one laugh-out-loud, bloody good time. The whole cast commits to the absurdity of it all whether it is Will Poulter in increasingly shorter shorts lamenting about his spa time or Jenna Ortega rolling her eyes or screaming as events unfold. No one is safe from Scharfman's snarky script or the mythological death dealers as the film tackles arrogance, parenting, and ethics. Despite its lack of depth in terms of damning the rich or even the fact that it leans more into the comedy than the horror, I found myself having a great time watching Paul Rudd and Ortega attempt to survive the day.
Elliot Kintner (Rudd) and his teenage daughter Ridley (Ortega) are traveling to the home of his boss Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), in order to have important papers signed. If Elliot can secure the right to manage Odell's company after his death, he and Ridley will be set for life. But just outside the massive abode, Elliot hits something with his car– a baby unicorn. Covered in its blood, the two realize it must have some sort of healing capability since Ridley's acne is gone and Elliot no longer needs glasses to see. Elliot loads the dead unicorn in his car and travels to the estate where the Leopold's (Odell, wife Belinda (Téa Leoni), and son Shepard (Poulter)) become interested in marketing this magical healing elixir. The first recipient is Odell himself, who now cured from cancer can resume his quest to become wealthier. Because what else do rich people do with their time? However, the cure comes with a cost– death by angry unicorn parents.
Not surprisingly, the horror of a unicorn killing spree is pretty limited. They can only do so much without opposable thumbs. But Scharfman makes sure the blood splatters are excessive and that guts spill whenever possible. These creatures can bite, toss, and even unsheathe some pretty sharp looking talons when necessary. There are homages to other monster classics throughout from Jurassic Park to Jaws, although the gore here is more over-the-top than realistic. All of the kills are fairly predictable narratively, save for one surprise in the second act. But you don't feel bad for most of these kills because it's clear the villains of this story are not the blood-thirty creatures but the humans. I did take issue with the CGI of the unicorns. They looked like poorly rendered horses with horns, it distracts a little when they are first fully revealed but when the entrails start flying it all kinda gets lost in the mix.
Where Death of a Unicorn really shines is with its eat-the-rich narrative, father/daughter duo, and the performances of such a talented cast. As mentioned, despite the fact that the unicorns are bludgeoning people to death, the real villains are the Leopold family. They are so slimy and awful, that you are genuinely rooting for the unicorns to put them in their place, because it's obvious society never will. Grant is self-assured with a heaping dose of obnoxiousness as the patriarch of the bunch. Despite his seemingly nice facade, Grant brings a simmering evil to Odell. Leoni is delightfully dense and so pampered she can't fathom a world where people don't have the kind of luxuries she is accustomed to. The star of the family (and one of the biggest standouts of the film) is the scene-stealing Poulter. His comedic timing never misses and his aloof yet arrogant, spoiled man-child portrayal of Shepherd will have you cracking up in your seat.
Rudd and Ortega ground the film with their relationship. At first they are on bad terms, made worse by the dead baby unicorn situation. For any parent in the audience, especially ones of teens, it feels real and gives you someone to root for (you know other than the unicorns). I was surprised with how much thought was put into their storyline in a movie where creatures of legend demolish an entire compound. The two have a great chemistry, with Rudd bringing the levity to Ortega's more stoic performance. As far as the supporting cast goes, the long-suffering Leopold servant Griff (Anthony Carrigan) is a highlight. This film has further convinced me Carrigan needs more roles.
This film tiptoes around the themes of “non-profit owners who are obviously horrible people,” healthcare access, ethics, and even the acceptance of death but it never actually tries to say anything new or meaningful about any of it. When Ridley has a moment with the baby unicorn that transports her to another dimension where something is shown to her…that interesting premise is essentially discarded by the end. Extreme greed, the idea that the rich dictate how humanity will survive, all of this is woven throughout the film but never goes beyond a cursory quip. This is a movie that is prioritizing spectacle and humor over depth which isn't a bad thing, I just was hoping it had a little more to say about its more mature themes.
Verdict
Ultimately, Death of a Unicorn is a hilarious mix of dark comedy, horror, and mythology that is as entertaining as it is bloody. It's a little silly at times but in the kind of way that makes it extremely fun. This is the kind of movie meant to be seen with an audience who equally appreciates exceptionally bloody kills while characters throw verbal jabs at each other. The whole cast is amazing with Poulter, Carrigan, Rudd, and Ortega stealing the show. Alex Scharfman has crafted a solid first feature here. With his clear admiration for the creature feature, I think if he works on honing his messages, he could make a name for himself in this genre. Death of a Unicorn is not without its faults but I had a blast watching it.
Death of a Unicorn is in theaters March 28. It is rated R for for strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use with a runtime of 104 minutes.
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