In a world of endless sequels, remakes, and bottom-of-the-barrel IP, an original idea can go a long way. With a starry cast, a snappy trailer, and a genuinely neat conceit, Death of a Unicorn seemed like a movie that could break through to audiences looking beyond cinema’s biggest brands. And though there are glimmers of greatness tucked away in this film, its full potential goes unrealized and this fantastical, pharmaceutical flick ends up surprisingly unmemorable.
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DEATH OF A UNICORN ★★ (2/4 stars) |
Magical creature murder aside, Death of a Unicorn follows a fairly rote path. There’s headstrong, moody art student Ridley (Jenna Ortega), forced on a trip into the remote wilderness by her uncool but earnest father Elliot (Paul Rudd). They’re off to meet Elliot’s boss, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), the ailing patriarch at the head of a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company. Elliot is a company lawyer, and he’s been tasked with executing Odell’s monetary wishes for his wife Belinda (Téa Leoni) and son Shepard (Will Poulter) after his death—as long as Elliot meets the Leopold standard of family values, or something. The how and why of the visit is a bit confused, but what’s important is that Ridley resents being used as a “pity prop” (her mom is dead, because she and her dad need something to have an emotional connection over) and is deeply unhappy to be in the presence of a big pharma family.
Obviously, the whole killing-a-unicorn thing is also a major downer. Ridley connects with the dying creature after her dad hits it with their car, quickly becoming the unicorn’s only defender as the Leopolds discover the body—and its incredible healing properties. With just a splatter of blood to the face, Elliot no longer needs his glasses and Ridley’s acne disappears (though her vape addiction still holds strong), and Odell sees opportunity. But as the Leopolds start to harvest their new miracle cure from the unicorpse, the animal’s brethren seek vengeance.
Death of a Unicorn tries to work at a few different levels, from family drama to satire to slasher, but it never really nails any of them. Despite its very specific cultural target, the movie’s barbs are dull and broad. Ridley’s anti-establishment attitude peaks before she and her father even arrive at the Leopold estate, when she calls philanthropy “reputation laundering for the oligarchy,” and her motivations are never all that focused. Poulter’s grown up rich kid has the most to offer in terms of cultural commentary, from his unicoke snorting to his bad business ideas to his awful shorts and loafers. The elder Leopolds have less to give, and it’s a real waste of Richard E. Grant. The man doesn’t even get to concoct an evil plan! The film seems to think that Odell’s comment about killing lions and elephants while hunting the unicorns will be a worthy substitute for actual scripted villainy (it’s not).
That shallow antagonism also hurts Death of a Unicorn as it leans into the terror wrought by the titular creatures. The movie loses its line of thought as the unicorns trample on the Leopold property, goring any and every human they can find. There are some fun moments, with writer-director Alex Scharfman winking at the audience over how silly it is to see some horror tropes done with unicorns, but he pulls the reins back before wholly committing to that style of filmmaking. The gore itself should satisfy anyone coming in to see this movie for the kills and thrills, since the blood and guts are the best of the film’s visual effects; unfortunately, the unicorns look profoundly artificial and clash with the movie’s more naturalistic aesthetics.
Death of a Unicorn is a real mixed bag of a genre mash up, never being all that scary or all that funny—or even all that smart. It’s incredibly predictable at times, which is never what you want out of an original movie. Rudd and Ortega make a convincing family pair, but both are very much working in their own wheelhouses with these characters. Poulter is the clear standout (along with the always capable Anthony Carrigan, who plays butler Griff), earning the biggest laughs while playing the character who most clearly distills the film’s themes. He helps tip the scale in the movie’s favor, but the end result is just okay.
