'Death of a Unicorn' Review: A Wildly Entertaining Ride But Struggles to Find the Right Balance
- Becca Johnson
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
By Becca Johnson - April 2, 2025
Directed by first-timer Alex Scharfman, who has previously boasted producer credits on the likes of Resurrection (2022) and House of Spoils (2024), Death of a Unicorn brings a wacky premise to a genre blend of horror, comedy and fantasy. The film follows a father and daughter who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat. Upon arrival, the fathers billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creatures miraculous curative properties.
Expertly acted with great comedic roots and unique visuals, Death of a Unicorn provides plenty of silly entertainment, though the inconsistencies within the script stop it from hitting a home run.
The main reason viewers have been excited to check out Death of a Unicorn is due to the stacked cast, and as expected, the entire ensemble is great. Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) is in the father role as Elliot, a widow who struggles to find the balance between succeeding at work and prioritising his daughters needs. He doesn’t get as much to do as expected, particularly where the comedy is concerned, but it’s still fun to have Rudd on screen and in a slightly different role. His daughter Ridley is played by Jenna Ortega (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), who despite stepping into a similar role to that of her previous work, excels nonetheless. Struggling with the loss of her mother and failing to bond with her father, Ridley is quite a complex character who becomes more important as the run-time progresses. The only character who wants to protect the unicorns and refrain from exploiting them for personal gain, Ridley is a refreshing presence that Ortega masters well.
However good our two leads are, it’s Will Poulter (Midsommar) who shines the brightest. His character Shepard is mostly on screen to deliver laughs but this doesn’t feel like a waste, as Poulter oozes charisma and ensures every laugh lands. We still get a strong sense of who Shepard is as a person, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else but Poulter in the role. Richard E. Grant (Saltburn) and Tea Leoni (Jurassic Park III) also deliver notable performances.
With a premise this wacky and silly, the best thing the Death of a Unicorn script could’ve done is fully lean into this - mostly, it does. Filled with laughs and ‘eat the rich’ satire that is currently a Hollywood favourite sub-genre, it does really well with its comedic aspects and delivers the fun, fantastical creature feature promised by the trailer and marketing. This is especially apparent during the final act, when the unicorns really descend on our cast of characters and wreak absolute havoc. Blood is spilled, the kills are gnarly and for those just looking to have a goofy good time, it certainly delivers. However, the journey to get there is a little ropey.
We learn pretty quickly that Elliot and Ridley are grieving, having lost their wife and mother respectively. The themes of grief and loss are massively under-explored, leaving an awkward and uneven balance between the intense emotional themes and the comedic satire. We don’t spend enough time with the pair to see their bond develop, the script instead focusing on the tension between the billionaire family and their guests. Speaking of the satire, whilst it has some solid lines within the script that undeniably provide laughs, it doesn’t reach high heights outside of this. Failing to deliver anything decent to chew on surrounding its themes of exploitation, it becomes a weaker entry into the eat the rich category. Somehow, the laughs become the films strongest and weakest asset.
Visually, Death of a Unicorn is a complete mixed bag, but that doesn’t prevent it from looking intriguing from start to finish. The CGI is certainly a little ropey, with our titular beasts looking perhaps a little too animated and fantastical, and the bloodshed they cause being too obviously CGI. However, the gimmick of having unicorns on our screens during a horror film never really gets old, and although they don’t look real per se, they are utterly stunning and mesmerising. It isn’t just the mythical creatures themselves that go for it with the aesthetic, but the entire movie has a slick, luxury setting and a vibrant color palette to match. Largely a single location flick, the millionaire mansion is stunning on the eye, with every indoor and outdoor space used well. With plenty of purple and pink tones, the filmmaking team really nail that aesthetic many of us imagine when thinking of unicorns. Hypnotising galaxy cut scenes and a Northern Lights-painted sky, there’s a lot to marvel at in terms of the visuals.
Death of a Unicorn can’t find the balance between its comedy and deeper themes, meaning it struggles to find something to say and the script feels uneven. However, that doesn’t mean to say it isn’t an incredibly fun, wild ride. With great pay-off, excellent performances and vicious kills in there to entertain horror fans, the entertainment factor is high, ultimately outweighing the disappointment. It may be very muddled, but at least it’s having a good time.
Death of a Unicorn is in cinemas April 4
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