DEATH OF A UNICORN (HBO MAX) (2025)

SYNOPSIS: A father (Paul Rudd) and daughter (Jenna Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) seeks to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties.

MOVIE REVIEW:

This is definitely not a live-action version of My Little Pony. In fact, it is so bloody and violent that you may never look at a unicorn the same way again.

The story begins with a father-and-daughter pair: corporate lawyer Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his rebellious teenage daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega). They are on their way to the Leopolds’ estate, as Elliot has been chosen to take over the running of the business for his wealthy boss, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant). Distracted by seasonal pollen and his daughter, Elliot accidentally hits a unicorn foal along the way.

In a rush to reach the Leopolds, Elliot leaves the supposedly dead foal in his car. Meanwhile, Ridley begins experiencing strange cosmic visions after earlier touching the foal’s horn. Miraculously, they soon discover that the unicorn’s blood has the ability to cure any sickness  including Odell’s cancer and even Ridley’s acne.

Despite coming from A24, a studio known for its stylistic and often thought-provoking releases, Death of a Unicorn is an easy watch or, dare it be said, a film that offers very little in the way of meaningful messages. The idea of Odell’s pharmaceutical empire greedily exploiting the healing properties of the unicorn’s horn is quickly overshadowed by the film’s relentless bloodshed. At the very least, the strained father-and-daughter relationship provides a thread of emotional redemption by the end.

There are moments of mild jump scares and plenty of silly, shocking deaths that should delight any B-movie fan. Making his feature film debut, writer-director Alex Scharfman delivers a film with hints of satire, though these elements are unfortunately buried beneath an average narrative and a “Jurassic World”-style creature rampage.

Téa Leoni, who has not appeared in a film for quite some time, plays the Leopold matriarch. Will Poulter shows up as her nitwit yet ambitious son, while Anthony Carrigan is well cast as their long-suffering butler. It is a solid ensemble overall, with the likeable Rudd and Ortega further boosting the impressive cast.

What does not quite work, however, is the less-than-convincing CGI. The concept of monstrous unicorns is mildly creative, but having them charge around like awkwardly oversized horses undercuts the menace. If you are expecting a smart, subversive creature feature from A24, this is not it. But if you are in the mood for an excessively cruel movie packed with countless deaths by piercing horns, Death of a Unicorn may just be your kind of treat.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee