Death of a Unicorn is basically Jurassic Park with unicorns, which makes it an absolute blast. The entire cast is incredible but Will Poulter steals the show.
From the first moment I saw the trailer for Death of a Unicorn, I knew it was right up my alley. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. This film is over the top and absolutely ridiculous, which is to be expected when you know it about killer unicorns.
When Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Jessica Ortega) are summoned to a weekend away to remote home of a mega-wealthy pharmaceutical CEO things quickly get out of hand when they accidentally hit a unicorn with their rental car. Unicorns have long been thought to have magical medicinal powers, and that is exactly what this familiy discovers after being soaked in unicorn blood during one of the best over-the-top sequences in a movie so far this year.
This is Alex Scharfman directorial debut. He also wrote the film and landed one of the most hilarious ensemble casts that I have seen in a while. Jenna Ortega is basically the straight man of the movie, with a sea of ridiculous insanity surrounding her. She does so brilliantly, fully becoming the heart of this bonkers story.
Paul Rudd, of course, brings the charm, but he offers more of the subtle comedy than the laugh-out-loud lines, as does Anthony Carrigan. If they gave awards for the best facial expressions, mannerisms, and silent reactions, Carrigan would absolutely deserve it for his role in Death of a Unicorn.
Richard E. Grant and Téa Leoni, play the CEO Odell and his wife Belinda. They are horrible people, as is their son. It is completely unsurprising when they decide to use the revelation of the unicorn blood for their own gain, fully disrespecting the animal and the life it once had.
Will Poulter, who plays Shephard, the son of the pharmaceutical CEO, is hands down the best part of this movie. Every line that comes out his mouth is hilarious and each joke is perfectly timed. Of course this has a lot to do with the script and direction, but he pulls it off seemlessly. I would bet money that the majority of the memes that come out of Death of a Unicorn will be of him, as well as that most of the lines quoted from it will be his.
Things go off the rails when more unicorns show up to enact revenge on the humans. As expected, this is where things fully get crazy. It doesn’t take too long for the movie to get there and while I wish it went a little harder at times, I fully love the unicorn carnage that is unleashed.
When we hit this part of the movie, Death of a Unicorn feels as if it is giving its best Jurassic Park impression, but in a way that totally works. The unicorns find themselves stalking their prey and the way many of these scenes are shot almost mirror ones from the popular dinosaur frachise.
Again, I must express, this is a brilliant move and makes it that much crazier. In an effort not to give anything away, I will simply say that people get what they deserve in a more than satisfying way.
My only real issue with Death of a Unicorn is that I would have loved for it to go a little bit harder. Still, I was laughing until my sides hurt, wincing at the gore, and having the time of my life. Sure, the CGI isn’t great, but it feels as if that fits the style of the movie. I had an absolute blast, which is the most I could have asked for.
This one begs to be seen on the big screen so be sure to check out Death of a Unicorn when it comes to theaters on March 28.
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About Death of a Unicorn
A father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.
