DEATH OF A UNICORN Film Review – What Happens When You Take “Weird” to the Mainstream

What is Death of a Unicorn About?

Blending satire, creature horror, and comedy, Death of a Unicorn follows Elliot and Ridley Kintner (Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega), a father and daughter who find themselves at an exclusive wilderness retreat hosted by the ultra-wealthy Leopold family. On their way, they hit a unicorn with their car – only to discover its horn possesses miraculous healing properties. As the Leopolds (Richard E. Grant, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni) seize the opportunity to capitalize on this newfound pharmaceutical goldmine, chaos ensues when the unicorn’s vengeful parents come seeking retribution. Essentially, the film views itself as a satirical takedown of greed, power, and entitlement, with some “monsters” thrown in for good measure.

Premiering at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival, Death of a Unicorn was the festival’s biggest draw, with over 1,000 people lining up for blocks around The Paramount Theatre. And look – the film delivered what the audience wanted. The theatre was filled with near-constant laughter and even two raucous rounds of cheers for a pair of particularly memorable deaths (no more spoilers than that).

But while it is certainly a fun ride, it’s also far from groundbreaking.

A Wild Concept, but a Safe Execution

At its core, Death of a Unicorn takes a bizarre, high-concept premise and runs it through a mainstream filter. It has moments of gore and absurdity, but it never truly leans into its weirdness in a way that would push boundaries. Instead, the film plays within familiar tropes: the obscenely rich exploiting everything they can for more power, the mistreatment of servants, the spoiled and drunken heir, and a father-daughter duo caught in the middle of the madness. While it’s a solid satirical setup, it doesn’t go much deeper than what we’ve seen time and time again (unicorns aside).

The Inspiration behind Death of a Unicorn

Director Alex Scharfman drew from a mix of inspirations, blending medieval unicorn mythology with a modern critique of corporate greed. Unicorns have long symbolized purity and healing, and historically, their horns were thought to counteract poison – an idea that naturally dovetailed into a pharmaceutical satire. IN Scharfman’s words, “Humans would invariably commodify the purity and curative properties of unicorns—after killing them first.”

The Leopold family is a thinly veiled satire of real-world pharmaceutical dynasties (think the Sackler family). Scharfman leans into the idea of the ultra-wealthy viewing themselves as benevolent forces while, in reality, using their influence for personal gain. The film’s absurdity amplifies their detachment from morality, portraying them as self-absorbed figures who see a magical, otherworldly creature as another way to increase profits.

A Polished but Unadventurous Visual Approach

Visually, Death of a Unicorn is clean and effective but not particularly daring. Larry Fong’s cinematography (best known for 300 and Kong: Skull Island) is technically flawless, but it doesn’t take many risks. The film is sharply shot, but there is no experimentation to elevate it beyond standard genre work.

The production design, helmed by Amy Williams, is more layered. The Leopolds’ wilderness retreat is meticulously detailed, but it never feels truly “lived in.” Much like the family that owns it, the mansion is grand but hollow – a pretty deliberate choice that supports the film’s themes of excess and detachment.

The Unicorn Design in Death of a Unicorn

One of the film’s biggest highlights is its creature design. Instead of the pastel, fairytale unicorns of popular culture, these unicorns feel ancient, almost prehistoric, with rhino-like bulk, feline agility, and razor-sharp talons. The film uses a mix of practical puppetry and digital effects, with Zoic Studios, Filmefex, and Wētā Workshop collaborating to bring the creatures to life. While undeniably impressive, the unicorns never feel entirely groundbreaking – more well-executed than revolutionary.

The Relationship Between Paul Rudd’s and Jenna Ortega’s Characters

Despite its well-crafted world, Death of a Unicorn lacks an emotional centre. The film wants us to invest in Elliot and Ridley’s father-daughter relationship, but their bond feels underwritten. We’re told about their history – Elliot is a recently widowed lawyer, and Ridley is struggling to connect with him – but the emotional beats get lost in the chaos of elites and unicorns. The film doesn’t give us enough moments to truly feel their relationship beyond the surface-level setup.

Will Poulter and the Comedy of Death of a Unicorn

While much of the humour comes from satirical exaggeration and physical gags, the standout is Will Poulter as Shepard Leopold. Playing the spoiled, oblivious heir to the Leopold fortune, Poulter takes a stock character and elevates him with near-perfect delivery. His self-absorbed antics – snorting ground unicorn horn or insisting on using his custom-made compound bow, for example – did, admittedly, have me laughing out loud on several occasions.

Elsewhere, Paul Rudd delivers exactly what you’d expect – his signature charm – but nothing about the role pushes him beyond what we’ve seen before. Jenna Ortega is strong as Ridley, but the script doesn’t give her much to work with emotionally. The rest of the Leopolds are perfectly entertaining, but none are memorable beyond their one-note, archetypal roles.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Death of a Unicorn is an entertaining and accessible dark comedy. It’s the kind of film that will appeal to those looking for something weird without pushing them too far outside their comfort zone.

As I left the theatre, I overheard someone say it was “the craziest movie they’d ever seen.” Considering films like Dead Lover were playing at the same festival, I couldn’t help but chuckle, but it speaks to Death of a Unicorn’s role as the “weird” movie for people who don’t actually watch weird movies.

Still, it’s another solid A24 entry – not close to their most daring, but certainly one that will find an audience, much like it did at its world premiere.