Comedy
Death of a Unicorn
Review: ‘Death of a Unicorn’ is a Riff on the Mid-Budget Creature Feature that Offers Up a Darkly Comedic Twist on ‘Jurassic Park’
March 24, 2025Ben MK
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Every year, approximately 1.2 million people are killed in road traffic crashes. Yet, while that sobering statistic might seem staggering, it still pales in comparison to the number of animals who die annually as a result of car accidents. Whether it's pets like dogs and cats or untamed wildlife like raccoons and squirrels, over 2 billion animals meet their untimely demise each year, due to to being struck and killed by a vehicle. But what if one of those unfortunate incidents led to the discovery of a truly amazing creature — one long thought to be nothing more than the stuff of myths and legends? That's the basic premise behind Death of a Unicorn, in which Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega play a troubled father-daughter duo caught up in a fantastical scenario. A single dad whose wife passed away a few years ago, Elliot Kintner (Rudd) has tried his best to provide for his teenage daughter, Ridley (Ortega), prioritizing his career at a large pharmaceutical firm in the hopes that all his hard work will eventually pay off. Elliot's plan hits an unforeseen and unimaginable bump, however, when the car he and Ridley are riding in strikes something unexpected, as they drive through a wilderness preserve on their way to a weekend retreat at the vacation home of his ailing boss, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant). At first, Elliot doesn't think much of it, figuring the animal they hit could simply be one of the park's native species. As they approach the four-legged victim of their fender bender, though, they soon realize that there's nothing ordinary about what's about to unfold. Arriving at their destination, Elliot and Ridley attempt to brush off their recent encounter, as they're introduced to Odell's wife, Belinda (Téa Leoni), and their son, Shepard (Will Poulter). It doesn't take long for the pair's accident to come back to haunt them, however, as the dead animal they thought they could safely leave in the back of their car turns out to be not so dead after all. Venturing outside to investigate, the five of them are greeted by a sight none of them ever fathomed they would see — a unicorn trying to kick and smash its way out of the back of a black SUV. But while the Leopolds' initial reaction is to shoot the creature in the head, that proves to be far from the end of their predicament. Discovering that the unicorn's purple blood can cure everything from acne to cancer, Odell is quick to try to milk their new treasure for profit. What they eventually come to understand, though, is that unicorns are more dangerous than they look. And when the unicorn's enraged parents show up to wreak their vengeance, it's greed that may lead them all down the path of their ultimate downfall. Written and directed by Alex Scharfman, what follows plays like a darkly comedic homage to Jurassic Park, as these humans find themselves stalked not by velociraptors or a T-rex, but by vicious, one-horned stallions intent on impaling, crushing and ripping them apart. Yet, while Death of a Unicorn certainly starts off strong, its irreverent tone, gory violence, and not-so-subtle critique of the rich and powerful soon begins to give way to tediousness and repetition. Make no mistake, there's certainly plenty of fun to be had with the simple concept of watching one unwitting victim after another be brutally slaughtered by creatures best known for their beauty and symbolism. However, by the time the third act rolls around, some viewers may be more and more tempted to keep checking their watches, as the story begins to drag like the beating of a dead horse. Suffice to say. fans of classic monster movies and mid—budget creature features will still get a kick out of Death of a Unicorn's offbeat twist on a familiar story. And with its top-notch cast and razor-sharp performances, this is one genre entry that's bolstered as much by its human elements as it is by its visual effects. Ultimately, however, it's hard to be completely enthralled by a film that runs out of meaningful things to say partway through. After all, unicorns might be immortal, but sometimes immortality can also be a curse. Death of a Unicorn releases March 28th, 2025 from VVS Films. The film has an MPAA rating of R for strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use. Its runtime is 1 hr. 44 min. |
