Death of a Unicorn is a comically unhinged concept. The foundation has all the flavors of an SNL Digital Short or a Robot Chicken segment. The movie finds an existence on one unique question: What if we made a Jurassic Park movie but used unicorns instead of dinosaurs? To increase the insanity, take a wholesome comedic star like Paul Rudd and have him smash a crowbar through a unicorn’s face. Now, picture these details in claymation while trying to avoid the Robot Chicken comparison.
The movie from A24 is one of the few slapstick-crazy films unleashed by the company. The studio is mainly known for its highly acclaimed artistic output, using its name to help distribute plenty of indie darlings. Then there is Death of a Unicorn—a movie where Will Poulter’s character shaves dusty particles off a unicorn’s horn and then snorts it like Grade-A Colombian powder sugar. One might say this is A24 gunning for the Cocaine Bear audience.
What is Death of a Unicorn about?
The film is written by director Alex Scharfman, an industry talent who has served as a producer on other projects such as Resurrection. With Death of a Unicorn, Scharfman makes his feature film debut. The film centers on Ridley (Jenna Ortega) and her father Elliot (Paul Rudd) as they embark toward the home of a dying pharmaceutical exec living in a remote location in the forest. The film hints at a tragedy from the first moments. Ridley and her father are recovering from the loss of Ridley’s mother, and Elliot sees the trip as a method of getting away from it all. At least, escapism is the intention before a majestic white horse with an odd spike on its head crosses in front of their car.
The comedy then invokes the SNL spirit, showcasing seemingly rational characters who continue to make absurd decisions. A reasonable individual would call someone or even tell the party about the accident involving the unicorn. Elliot takes the dead mythical creature and quietly puts it in his vehicle. Once Ridley and Elliot arrive at the mansion, a wild mix of wealthy and eccentric personalities welcomes them.
Belinda (Téa Leoni) is the wife of Odell (Richard E. Grant), a cancer-riddled pharmaceutical executive. They both exude the out-of-touch billionaire language commonly seen in the media. Leoni subtly shines as Belinda, playing the heartless and shallow mindset with humorous disgust. She is the character who believes the world is equally as greedy as her, and Leoni makes the most of it comedically.
Grant plays Odell exactly how one might expect. As a performer, he is great in everything, and the same is true here. His character Odell seeks to find an answer for his terminal illness. Shepard, performed brilliantly by Poulter, is the Don Jr. of the household. He’s a little manic and constantly off-kilter; the type of person who one might frequently question whether they have been partaking in various substances.
Elliot is brought to the home as an attorney settling Odell’s business affairs before the family realizes a unicorn is in his possession. Once the cat is out of the bag, the family hopes to exploit the creature for its medicinal properties. But Ridley feels connected to the creature, sensing a threat to everyone involved with the deceased unicorn. The unicorn’s parents come searching for their young, and the enchanting beasts are large, aggressive, and possess razor-sharp teeth.
The Anaconda of unicorn movies
The film has a carefree nature, much like Anaconda did in 1997. Anaconda had a string of eccentric characters and a few performers (such as Jon Voight) who were on the precipice of overacting. Simultaneously, all roles were clearly defined, setting the stage for the giant snake to devour the characters.
Much like Anaconda, Death of a Unicorn has questionable CGI and may not age very well visually. While the monstrous horses have moments of practicality, there are instances reminiscent of the giant snake pursuing characters in the 1997 thriller, where the visuals falter. However, like Anaconda, the lack of realism somehow builds character to the violent spectacle.
The Jurassic Park influences are transparent to the viewer. Death of a Unicorn tackles the same “Greed vs. Science” themes as the original Steven Spielberg classic. The difference is Death of a Unicorn takes a satirical bite out of the pharmaceutical billionaires who use medicine for their own gains rather than for the greater good.
When Ridley and Elliot accidentally come into contact with the unicorn’s blood, they soon realize it possesses remarkable healing properties. Seeing the transformations in Elliot and his daughter, Odell and his profit-driven family persuade Elliot to capitalize on the deceased creature to feed their pockets. Like Jurassic Park, Odell and his lackeys, “were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
The influence of Jurassic Park is seen throughout the horror elements of this film. For example, one scene featured in the trailer shows the silhouette of a unicorn roaring, paying homage to the T-Rex sequences in the early Jurassic Park films. The 1993 movie also featured a hysterical sequence where a sleazy lawyer gets eaten by a T-Rex while sitting on a toilet. Death of a Unicorn is that one scene echoed repeatedly for nearly two hours.
A surprisingly sentimental film by Alex Scharfman
Death of a Unicorn is certainly gory and features a goofball energy to its monster mayhem, but the comical violence finds a heart with Ortega and Rudd. For most of the film, Rudd’s character, Elliot, is borderline unlikable, as his intentions seem equally unethical as the rich people he represents. His daughter, Ridley, becomes increasingly detached from Elliot because of his continued support of draining the unicorn for resources. The added element of grieving the loss of a parent adds to the tension between them when Elliot seemingly makes the most disappointing choices.
However, as the unicorn bloodbath unfolds, the onion layers slowly peel back, revealing more about their relationship and what is in Elliot’s heart. The narrative takes a surprising sentimental turn for a film of this nature, giving a touching father-and-daughter movie at the epicenter of everything.
Death of a Unicorn might possess an absurd premise and embody the ludicrous monster movie vibes of films like Anaconda, but that is precisely its charm. The film knows the assignment: to provide a bonkers experience with a heartfelt family dynamic on the side. Besides, given the current climate, watching unicorns feast on a bunch of wealthy elitists could serve as cinematic therapy.
A24’s Death of a Unicorn releases in theaters in the US March 28, 2025. Are you excited to see this movie this weekend? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus!
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