Jay Rohr
Death of a Unicorn strives for the alchemy that transmutes the mundane into gold. Although formulaically a creature feature, there’s a certain whimsy to the premise as well as proceedings that are entertaining. Gruesome kills turn the dial towards horror, while a steady stream of laughs frequently tunes it to comedy. Death of a Unicorn is certainly amusing, but whether it’s golden is another question.
Ridley (Jenna Ortega) reluctantly accompanies her father, Elliot (Paul Rudd), on a working vacation. Driving to the isolated mountain estate of the immensely wealthy Leopolds, the two accidentally kill a unicorn. When dying oligarch Odell Leopold (Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant) gets a hint that the animal’s blood might have healing properties, he immediately tests the possibility on himself. Restored to full health, this pharmaceutical tycoon sees only dollar signs down the line. However, the truth is that other unicorns are coming to reclaim their realm and avenge the dead.
These are hardly adorable creatures from children’s fantasy. Death of a Unicorn does a marvelous job of crafting intimidating beasts. Audiences will have no doubt such creatures could be apex predators. And for the most part, writer-director Alex Scharfman with his debut feature-length film makes the smart move of sparingly showing the monsters at the heart of this story. The full reveal is satisfying, while the build to it cleverly builds that anticipation with engaging glimpses.
Thematically, Death of a Unicorn covers some well-tread territory. The strained relationship between Elliot and Ridley results in dialogue that can be foreseen miles off. The satirical jabs at the superrich feel like Liberalism 101. Then, as far as creature features go, the premise—people encounter a mythical creature and make bad decisions due to hubris—isn’t all that special; .
What keeps the film from getting stale is the cast. Granted, Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Paul Rudd (Dinner for Schmucks) are nearly on autopilot with the personalities they display. His ordinary uptight guy, over focused on work persona has been seen in enough movies to be a stock character, while her disaffected youth is rolling her eyes into type casting at this point. Yet, they both manage to conjure enough charm for viewers to root for all to be well between them by the end.
Will Poulter (We’re the Millers) is absolutely fabulous as the feckless son Shepard Leopold. His casual displays of entitlement are quite comical. Poulter conjures up a spoiled rich kid with a Teflon personality that never allows anything negative to stick to him. Meanwhile, Téa Leoni (Jurassic Park III) does an interesting job with her role as Belinda, matriarch of the Leopold oligarchy. She’s no trophy wife to her husband, and her way of trying to manipulate perceptions is wonderfully vilifying. It’s nice to see a female villain who isn’t just along for the ride but is making just as contemptible decisions as her male counterparts.
Finally, Richard E. Grant (Saltburn) is a mixed bag. On the one hand, he does bring the condescending sense of aristocratic superiority only the English can truly deliver. However, his adeptness at acting the part is mostly because he’s done it so many times before. He’s wonderfully wicked, especially as his health returns, but the role isn’t anything special.
While Death of a Unicorn may not excel in crafting deep, original characters, their depictions contain several excellent moments which is where the performances shine. Alex Scharfman sets up situations where behavior and dialogue express far more than any exposition dump could deliver. At risk of spoilers, Ridley puts her college background as an art history major to use, exploring medieval unicorn tapestries which reveal they’re all in danger. When she presents her evidence, there’s a way Téa Leoni interacts with it while speaking dismissively to Jenna Ortega that conveys so much more than words can alone. In addition, the ways the Leopolds rationalize their satirically odious actions is consistently comical.
Once the nightmare sets in, though, all subtlety goes out the window. That isn’t to say there isn’t a certain sense of suspense. Shadows suggest prowling unicorns as do snarls heard in the dark. The stomp of hooves tells of death creep-clopping closer. Meanwhile, Death of a Unicorn shifts into a humanity versus nature situation which goes as well as one expects. What keeps the film afloat is the gloriously extreme ways several people are killed.
This is not a feature for the faint of heart. Although there are certainly more extreme gore horror movies out there, Death of a Unicorn has a remarkably gruesome set of slaughters. Tonally, many may need the movie’s comedy as a palate cleanser after some kills.
Fortunately, death is often meaningful. Either a character’s demise leads to a new plot thread or is the consequence of some decision. There’s never a sense that blood is being spilled simply to shock. And that said, there are several kills which are frightening while remaining bloodless. This meaningfulness then plays out in certain character interactions.
It results in interesting plot points for Sunita Mani (G.L.O.W.) as Dr. Bhatia, who delivers a surprisingly complex performance for a small supporting role. Her story has more unexpected twists than the whole film. Then there’s Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as put-upon butler Griff. As things spiral into insanity, his willingness to mutely do the Leopolds’ every bidding turns into grand comedy, especially when he attempts to add his own two cents. Used sparingly, Carrigan is easily one of the most amusing parts of Death of a Unicorn.
Overall, Death of a Unicorn joins the ranks of A24 features which regularly embrace unusual or unique narratives but never quite turn them into something legendary. So, cheers for a fresh idea even if it isn’t perfect. It’s never that the movie is ever truly disappointing, just hard to imagine people will be enthusiastically discussing this flick a few months from now. There’s plenty to entertain which is nice since the film starts to feel too long towards the obvious end. Still, Death of a Unicorn is worth streaming once.
