What’s It About
When a man and his daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn with their car, his boss tries to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties — with horrific results.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
This movie delivers exactly what its title promises. It quickly shows a unicorn dying and makes it clear where the story is heading. The filmmakers rely on the script and actors to keep things interesting – and by interesting, I mean watching rich people care more about making money from a unicorn horn than their own safety while angry unicorns seek revenge. It’s definitely a weird comedy, but is it funny? Thankfully, the great cast makes this one of the more entertaining A24 films, making up for its lack of depth with plenty of jokes. The story begins with Ridley (Jenna Ortega) and her awkward dad, Elliott (Paul Rudd), arriving in the Canadian Rockies for a crucial business trip. Elliott works for the Leopold family, which owns a major pharmaceutical company, and he’s about to get a big promotion. The catch? He must prove he’s a family man during a weekend at their private estate. The problem is that Ridley and Elliott barely talk since her mom died, so he needs her to pretend everything’s fine so he can secure their future. On their way to the Leopold property, they accidentally hit a baby unicorn. Elliott panics, tries to put it out of its misery, then hides the body in their car. When they arrive, they act like nothing happened while meeting the sick family head, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), the fake-charitable Belinda Leopold (Téa Leoni), and their bratty son, Shepard (Will Poulter). These super-rich people circle around the father-daughter pair like sharks, making snide comments about wealth and status. The movie isn’t subtle. Its message about “eating the rich” becomes literal once adult unicorns start tearing people apart. While movies criticizing capitalism aren’t new, this one uses the structure of a monster movie to deliver that message. That is good as long as it is entertaining. Then things get strange when the group finds a baby unicorn and learns that its blood cures acne, allergies, and bad eyesight. At the same time, the angry unicorn parents are gearing up for revenge. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely! Is it fun and funny? Absolutely! It feels like Jurassic Park with fantasy elements, criticizing those who profit in the worst ways possible. It’s monster movie satire done well, made better by a cast giving their all. Grant, Leoni, and Poulter perfectly play a family of billionaires who love themselves and have zero self-awareness. Their comedic timing creates a fast-paced dialogue that builds tension while making you laugh before any mythical creatures violently appear. Rudd plays somewhat against type as the boring straight man whose story involves realizing that money can’t fix his relationship with his daughter. He’s not as funny as he could be, but he does his job well enough. The rest of the cast gets more interesting roles to play. The director treats this unicorn monster movie like a modern fairytale in both subject and style. He uses character types from folklore, especially Little Red Riding Hood. Ridley wears a red sweatshirt like a red cape. She’s the innocent character walking into danger, and she faces wolves in sheep’s clothing. The director clearly has fun playing with fantasy elements. Ortega serves as our guide into this world, and while she carries the emotional weight, it’s fun watching her try to explain why everything is bad while reacting (and vaping) to the ridiculous people around her. Grant and Leoni are perfectly cast as awful rich people who look down on everyone while thinking they’re doing the right thing. Anthony Carrigan (from Barry) is also great as the Leopold’s butler, delivering some of the funniest lines. However, the movie misses one important thing: a deeper connection with our main characters. While Rudd convincingly plays a dorky dad who cares for his daughter, and Ortega’s rebellious style contrasts well with the nasty rich people, parts of the film feel shallow. The script tries to give background on Ridley and Elliott’s relationship, especially regarding her mother’s death, but it doesn’t go deep enough. The director is very focused on the “evil rich versus working class” angle, which makes the film charming and funny; however, I wanted more about the main relationship in the film. Then, there are also unicorns, which were made with puppets, CGI, and real horses. The director researched quite a bit to design his unicorns, which he said took months to finish. These aren’t the cute Barbie unicorns – these are aggressive creatures that want to kill people. As a monster movie, there is fair tension about what will happen with the unicorns and what the movie is building to. While the CGI is not Hollywood quality, it is acceptable because of how aggressive they are when the animals are needed. Death of a Unicorn is perfect for anyone looking for a hilarious and entertaining film with unicorns and characters you have never seen before. Yes, it is strange hope, and a few people may not like the chaos. But, if you are willing to go with the flow it is a gloriously bloody film that is about love, family, and the power of unicorn blood. It’s better as a splatter horror film than a smart take on greedy rich people, and it might move too slowly at times, but it’s engaging enough. With a bit more edge, this A24 film could have made a stronger point. As it is, the movie doesn’t make unicorns feel especially magical, but I still had fun watching that horn and looking forward to the danger it would bring.
OUR RATING – A DEVILISH 6.5