They say you cannot judge a book by its cover, so you most certainly should not judge a movie by its title. Although, when a film has the title “Death of a Unicorn,” it is almost impossible not to raise an eyebrow with a weird sense of curiosity regarding that title. As the latest offering from production company A24, “Death of a Unicorn” is exactly what it sounds like, as the plot of the film is set into motion by way of a unicorn’s death.
However, the straightforward nature of that premise gets incredibly twisted as Elliot, played by Paul Rudd, and his daughter Ripley, played by Jenna Ortega, visit the Leopold family at their wealthy estate, while also being the ones that killed the unicorn along the way. The shenanigans that happen from this unicorn’s death are so bizarre that it is hard to tell if this movie is truly entertaining for what it is worth or if it is just downright insane in the worst way possible.
The movie is produced and released by A24, a production company that has gathered a cult-like following from movie fans over the last decade. Their brand of film is famously known for its mature, prestigious and independent style of filmmaking. Some films that they have released before include “Lady Bird,” “Uncut Gems,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Iron Claw,” last year’s “Civil War” and manymore.
The A24 brand is at its worst in “Death of a Unicorn” as the plot of this film ends up devolving into what could be considered as a generic Marvel movie with loads of exposition regarding unicorn lore, a third act that requires you to just shut your brain off with what is happening and an awful looking unicorn. The point of all fictional stories is to suspend your audience’s disbelief, but every time a unicorn appears on screen, you can easily tell that it does not fit in with the real-world setting.
At its best, the actors involved really do elevate the script and the bizarre nature of this story. Rudd and Ortega portray a father-daughter relationship very well, but the real standouts were the actors that portrayed the wealthy but crazy and inhumane Leopold family. Richard E. Grant and Téa Leoni play the husband and wife respectively, but the real standout is Will Poulter, famously known for his role as Eustace in the last Narnia film, “Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” and more recently as Adam Warlock in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” who plays their son, Shepherd.
All these actors do a great job at playing these insane characters, but there are a ton of lines and scenes that Poulter has that are just outright hilarious. Without giving anything away, Shepherd has his most hilarious moment near the end of the film that you absolutely need to see to believe that such a scene exists in an actual movie. Anthony Carrigan also has some hilarious moments as the Leopold butler that are more subtle than Poulter’s performance. With the talent that this film has assembled on the acting side of things, the performances of everyone involved no doubt saved this movie from being a throwaway, forgettable film.
For what it is worth, “Death of a Unicorn” is not going to be held in high regard as one of A24’s best movies, but it certainly is not a forgettable dud either. Had it not been for the performances of its star-studded cast and the witty comedy that comes out of those performances, “Death of a Unicorn” would have crashed and burned if it took itself too seriously. Had it done so, the crazy and entertaining time at the movies it provided would have turned out to be one of the dumbest ways to waste your time. If you want that good time, and you are good with R-rated humor and graphic horror, definitely give this film a watch, but do not go into it expecting the next example of A24 greatness.
