Movie review: 'Death of a Unicorn' misses its own point
- The film Death of a Unicorn, directed by Alex Scharfman, follows Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who hit a unicorn with their car, leading to discoveries about its magical properties.
- The story develops from the Leopold family's capitalist greed, as Odell, a dying pharmaceutical tycoon, and his relatives seek to exploit the unicorn's healing powers for profit.
- The film mixes dark humor, gory fantasy, and absurdity while showcasing Ortega and Rudd as emotional anchors amid a cast of unsympathetic billionaire characters and eccentric performances.
- Reviews note the special effects rely heavily on gimmicky CGI and poor lighting, which detract from the film's emotional impact despite its quirky premise being described as "pure A24 gold."
- Although Death of a Unicorn offers entertaining moments and critique of greed, it ultimately struggles with its satire and overloaded symbolism, leaving it feeling unfinished but still worth watching.
115 Articles
115 Articles
Mucking With Movies: ‘Death of a Unicorn’
Some movies are just so easy to write about. I could gush over “Death of a Unicorn” for days and days and days. The audience and I roared with laughter throughout, finding solace in the silliness but warmth in the love the film radiates. It really reminded me of seeing the original “Knives Out” in theaters — nothing to do with the “whodunnit” mystery plot, obviously, but with the tone and early layering of the interpersonal character dynamics. W…

Movie review: 'Death of a Unicorn' misses its own point
Horror humor is having a moment. But if Paul Rudd can’t quite make Ant-Man work, what makes anyone think he can gallop in this field?
Death of a Unicorn review: A comedy-horror that's stretched beyond its capabilities
★★★☆☆ Death of a Unicorn is in cinemas from Friday 4 April. Add it to your watchlist Traditionally, unicorns have cantered at the more comfy end of the popular culture spectrum, their typical domain the worlds of cuddly toys, colouring books and posters on little girls’ bedroom walls — a far cry from anything that might invoke terror. Placing them in a fright fest, albeit one played for laughs, is akin to a Jaws reboot with previously human-frie…
Paul Rudd Barfs Into His Own Unicorn Cowboy Hat While Day Drinking With Seth Meyers
Seth Meyers’ “Day Drinking” segment on “Late Night” has long been known to put its celebrity guests through the wringer, and on Tuesday’s episode, Paul Rudd was no exception. In his case, the segment went off the rails early, with him vomiting into his own hat. More specifically, it was a unicorn cowboy hat, as the actor appeared in support of his new film “Death of a Unicorn,” in which he stars alongside Jenna Ortega. What was the drink that ma…

‘Death of a Unicorn’ review: A dark comedy with more splatter than glitter
The blood in “Death of a Unicorn” comes in two colors: the familiar shades of red for humans and a deep purple for the mythological creature of the title. Writer and director Alex Sharfman’s splurchy dark comedy carves itself into halves, a clever first half followed by a more routine second one. Yet it’s a feature film debut signaling a filmmaker of actual wit. So you go with it — I did, anyway, most of it, more or less — even when its sense of…
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