This horror comedy that’s right up A24’s alley is enjoyable enough, thanks to its recognizable cast.
If any studio is going to have a more notable film slate for the first half of the year than A24, then please let me know. But as it stands, Death of a Unicorn is the studio’s fourth release so far this year, and they are set to release five more feature films through June. This latest feature is part of an ambitious slate, for sure, and comes right on the heels of a recent release of theirs from earlier this month that most viewers and critics found to be disappointing (Opus). Thankfully, A24 rebounds with director Alex Scharfman’s feature film debut, Death of Unicorn. While it may not be as sharp as the horns of the fabled creatures the story revolves around, this creature feature still makes good use of its satire, and it also turns out to be gorier than expected.
When lawyer Elliott Kintner (Paul Rudd) and his daughter, Ridley (Jenn Ortega), are on their way to a retreat destination at the request of his Elliot’s boss, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), they accidentally hit a young unicorn with their rental vehicle. Feeling bad, they take the dead animal with them. However, once they arrive at the retreat destination, everyone discovers that the dead unicorn’s body can be used to cure any health issue – including the one the lawyer’s boss is suffering from. However, the parents of the dead unicorn locate the body and begin to wreak havoc on everyone at the retreat.
Death of a Unicorn comes off as a mix between Black Mirror and Twilight Zone with a dash of Jurassic Park sprinkled on top for good measure. The film eventually evolves into a “eat-the-rich” satire the further it progresses. However, the story itself feels a little shallow beyond the basic concept of showing its characters the consequences of being in possession of a “forbidden fruit”-like object that can change the lives of everyone they encounter. It’s not to say the film ever comes off as boring at any time during its 100-minute runtime; but it does feel like there was more to explore with its characters, either by providing more depth or clarity in how they act and react to events that eventually lead to the spilling of blood. Regardless, Death of a Unicorn still manages to maintain a steady gait thanks to its recognizable cast.
Headlining this film is Paul Rudd, a fan favorite of many film goers, who was due to star in a comedy of sorts sooner rather than later (and stars in another comedy called Friendship from A24 coming out in May). Rudd is about what you would expect, and I would say the same for Jenna Ortega, whose star is continuing to rise thanks to the success of Netflix’s Wednesday. But Rudd and Ortega go above being merely atypical here thanks to their believable chemistry as a father and daughter, who clearly have not bonded well since the passing of Ridley’s mom, Belinda (Denise Delgado), a subplot that helps drive the narrative here. It’s always good to see Richard E. Grant and Téa Leoni pop up from time to time, and they do so here as a couple who will make everyone root for the unicorn’s parents to eliminated them from this world. But the film’s best performance comes from Will Poulter, another up-and-comer like Ortega, who plays Odell and Belinda’s son, Shepard. Delivering the film’s funniest lines, Poulter continues to show his range as an actor, and Death of a Unicorn provides another notch in the belt of an already impressive filmography for the thirty-two-year-old actor.
Death of a Unicorn may not be a film many of us remember by year’s end. And in fact, I might go so far as to categorize it as a slight disappointment, given the cast and unique plot. Regardless, it’s still better than most of the films I’ve seen so far this year and one that’s easy to recommend seeing in theaters. Films that stick the landing (and especially ones that tie in the opening) create satisfied viewers, and Death of a Unicorn does just that thanks to its cast and the fabled creatures who entertain and create laughter for the audience.