Death of a Unicorn: Wild But Not Wild Enough (Early Review)

Death of a Unicorn is the newest horror comedy from A24 and the feature directorial debut of writer-director Alex Scharfman. The story follows Elliot (Rudd) and his teenage daughter Ridley (Ortega), who hit and kill a unicorn on their way to a weekend retreat hosted by Elliot’s billionaire boss Odell (Richard E. Grant). However, once they arrive, Odell, his wife Belinda (Tea Leoni) and son Shepard (Poulter) quickly seize control of the situation as they looked to exploit the creatures’ miraculous powers for financial gain. But as their research deepens, the unicorns’ parents arrive and quickly turn the tables. A film with the makings of one of the better horror comedies of the year, at least on paper, it is one that could have taken its central premise even further. All things considered, it is still a lot of fun and a good time at the movies.

Definitely showing signs of a directorial debut, for the most part, Scharfman does a fine job behind the camera in injecting the film with a style that helps it to stand out against a swaff of other A24 films. A wickedly entertaining watch from start to finish, it features a ton of laugh out loud moments that hit that much harder thanks to an excellent cast who all understood the assignment. Meanwhile, audiences can expect plenty of gore which is fitting for a creature feature such as this, and the kills themselves are both creative and leave an impact. Though the design of the unicorns certainly won’t work for everyone, especially for how noticeably CGI they are, but their appearance really fits the tone and make for a menacing presence whenever they appear.

While its comedy and gore are obvious selling points, the film surprisingly heartfelt as well, the basis of that being the strong father daughter dynamic of Elliot and Ridley (and the strong chemistry between Rudd and Ortega). But as great as Rudd and Ortega are, the entire cast all help to sell the absurd premise while keeping it fairly grounded and from losing control. Grant and Leoni (in her first film role in nearly 15 years) are a joy to watch as Odell and Belinda as they fully commit to the wackiness the longer it goes on. In the end, however, it is Poulter and Anthony Carrigan (Griff) who steal the show and are responsible for the film’s biggest laughs, in their own distinct ways. Ultimately, the cast alone are worth the price of admission as they help keep it afloat.

Though a fun time that a large portion of audiences will surely enjoy, the film is not without issues, holding it back from joining the ranks of the best of A24. Focusing far more on the comedy than the horror, this might disappoint some. On the other hand, it doesn’t help that because of the high volume of jokes being thrown around, their success rate will inevitably be on the lower side while lacking the kind of impact Scharfman was clearly going for. Additionally, the film feels slightly longer and takes too long to get to what audiences want to see following a great opening stretch, actual unicorn carnage. Yet another film offering up a commentary on the rich, it remains amusing, however, it does grow stale and a tad repetitive over time, especially after so many films tackling that same commentary.

At the end of the day, Death of a Unicorn may not quite be the home run many have perhaps expected it to be, but it’s still a good time to be had for fans of horror comedies, or just fans of the cast. Either way, it is a film that audiences should try and see with a big crowd where it will undeniably play better, making for a far more enjoyable theater experience than if sitting at home alone.

still courtesy of VVS Films

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/