A24’s Death of a Unicorn (2025) Delivers Enough Whimsy and Gore in Creature Feature Comedy
Title: Death of a Unicorn
First Non-Festival Release: March 28, 2025 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Alex Scharfman
Writer: Alex Scharfman
Runtime: 107 Minutes
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Despite its ubiquitous influence in pop culture, there has strangely been few depictions of unicorns as the terrifying beast they could easily be. Death of a Unicorn strives to reintroduce the creatures by reinventing their mythology.
After a long trip, Elliot (Paul) and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) start the long trek to the home of his billionaire boss, Odell (Richard E. Grant), in the middle of a nature preserve. Along the way, they get into a car accident when Elliot accidentally runs over a creature. When the pair realize what they’ve done, they scoop up the strange animal, clean up the scene of the crime, and keep driving. Once they make it to their destination, they’ll find that the creature is exactly what they both think it is: a unicorn. And this unicorn was a baby with parents just waiting for a reason to get angry with humans again.
A24 creature feature comedy Death of a Unicorn skates by on its premise and cast.
The promise of a zany creature feature turns into a more standard horror comedy as Death of a Unicorn loses and gains steam while its characters make sense of their fantastic situation. Writer/director Alex Scharfman does well in the first act to subvert expectations with what Elliot and Ridley do to cover up their accident and how the unicorn’s secret properties are revealed. The mystery quickly dies once Elliot’s employers decide to exploit the situation for their financial gain.
Despite its strong cast, Death of a Unicorn struggles because of its flat characters and limp relationship dynamics. Characters are given enough time to avoid two dimensionality but never feel realized. The rich are cartoonish not in their villainy but for their ignorance. Those employed, find themselves risking their lives for their boss’s greed and idiocy, yet they still persist. Ridley sadly doesn’t make for an exciting protagonist, despite Jenna Ortega’s best efforts. The film finds its footing when it settles on one of the family members to drive home the true horror of such wanton privilege. Ortega and Paul Rudd’s father - daughter arc fully sucks the remaining air from the room. It’s not that it is poorly done, it’s just very basic and forgettable.
Not as deftly crafted as one would hope, Death of a Unicorn weaves in class commentary about using money as a shield for the realities of life. With the typical trappings of a horror satire and creature feature to boot, Death of a Unicorn becomes memorable for how its characters choose to react to the stunning news. The rich and powerful see the unicorn’s arrival as an opportunity to enrich themselves while their lackeys either agree out of necessity or think of how they can secretly try to save the world, very similar to the views on the middle and working class. Ridley is the only one who cares about what the creature needs. Her clumsy attempts to galvanize support are met with condescension or confusion, labeling her an activist in the greater allegory. The satire falls flat in how superficial it feels, ultimately taking away from the already underwhelming story.
The action sequences will land solely on how forgiving one is with the cgi creature effects, which are largely fine despite some goofy moments. Scharfman does best when the creature is in hiding or lurking behind a corner. The disembodied gallops and sinister neighs, however, can only do so much legwork with building the atmosphere. And in any monster movie, it pays to show the monster. Whenever this monstrosity is onscreen, there is an inherent goofiness to it that makes it less threatening. The action sequences are repetitive and shallow, lacking in ingenuity for how the characters and the beast interact. Still, it’s pretty cool that a killer unicorn movie manages to eke out a good jump scare or two.
Altogether fine, Death of a Unicorn makes the most of its fun premise and manages to eke out enough jolts and laughs to recommend. The social commentary may be stale and the action scenes repetitive, but the charming cast and endearing creature make up for it. Ultimately, Death of a Unicorn reminds us that novel ideas still require shaping. There are great ideas here even if they don’t coalesce in the end. If you like your creature features funny with a dash of eat the rich humor, A24’s latest horror comedy may be for you.
Overall Score? 6/10
