DEATH OF A UNICORN 🤩

We’re not even to the end of March, and 2025 has already been a banner year for films, and DEATH OF A UNICORN is no different. This feels like the year for dark comedies with this, COMPANION, OPUS, MICKEY 17, and NOVOCAINES. DEATH OF A UNICORN is a hilarious takedown of the healthcare-for-profit industry, and I’m not even sure if it set out to be that. As writer/director Alex Scharfman said in the screening I attended, he wanted to make a “creature feature,” and this is the most fun entry in that genre I’ve seen in a long time. 

When I first learned about this film, the title gave me a bittersweet pause. From 2011 to 2022, I was involved with a Burning Man camp that revolved around a giant unicorn art car. We put A LOT of blood, sweat, and tears into that project and experienced incredible amounts of joy and magic in sharing it with others. One day, we realized it had to end, yet almost three years later, my closets were filled with unicorn-themed clothes and accessories that we wore and shared over that decade. So, to say that unicorns have meant a lot to me is to put it lightly. This mythical creature was a massive part of my life for over a decade. Then I saw the hilarious trailer featuring this wonderful cast, and I was 200% onboard with coming out for the “death,” so to speak. 

First, all the roses to Scharfman on his first feature. And from A24, no less! And with a fantastic cast featuring Richard E. Grant, Paul Rudd, Téa Leoni, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, and Anthony Carrigan. Outside of film junkies, Grant’s name might not ring a bell, but he’s been doing this well over 40 years, lighting up our screens big and small, and has an Oscar nomination to boot. A part of me is inclined to consider him underutilized, but most likely, he’s just choosing his roles carefully and always giving 200%. Ortega is on a tear, with WEDNESDAY, the SCREAM franchise, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE, this, and much more in the works. I would have never pictured her playing the child of Paul Rudd until this film. They make a great father-daughter team in UNICORN. I’ve been a fan of Rudd’s since CLUELESS, yet still disappointed in a lot of his films despite him always giving great performances. 

Carrigan has played a handful of villains throughout his career, but he finally gets to be a good guy here. He’s always likable, but this time around, I don’t feel bad for rooting for him like I may have in BARRY. Leoni is an actress I always love seeing on the big or small screen, but I admittedly don’t usually seek her out. I’ve never seen an episode of MADAM SECRETARY, which she’s probably best known for. Sorry, Téa! I should remedy that pronto. And last, but certainly not least, Will Poulter, who you may know from GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, WE’RE THE MILLERS, or BLACK MIRROR. I love his career trajectory. I was flabbergasted when he came up as a pastry chef. Poulter, Leoni, and Grant together play a family of billionaires, rich from the pharmaceutical industry and “other” endeavors. Rudd is their family business lawyer, with Ortega as his estranged daughter and Carrigan as the family butler. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a quick shoutout to actress Sunita Mani (MR. ROBOT), who plays a scientist who works for Grant’s character. In a film about rich white people, she’s one of only a few actors of color in the movie. Casting an Indian-American actress as the scientist is lazy, but I’m still really happy she was in it. She’s always a pleasure to see on screen and I hope more feature-starring roles are in her future. 

Elliot (Rudd) and Ridley (Ortega) are the fish out of water here, at least the humankind. They’re spending the weekend with the Leopold’s – Odell (Grant), his wife Belinda (Leoni), and their adult son Shepard (Poulter) at their mountaintop mansion in the middle of a huge compound and nature reserve. Lawyer Lawyer Elliot has arrived for a long weekend of putting the family business in order. But hey, this film wouldn’t be anything without the titular unicorn. You know, the thing that REALLY doesn’t belong. 

Like so many other billionaires, the Leopold’s aren’t always looking for the right thing to do but the thing that makes them more money. And then along came a unicorn. DEATH OF A UNICORN is a dark comedy, but it is quite gory, so be warned. There are some JURASSIC  PARK homages thrown in, as there should be. What’s even crazier than seeing a dinosaur in modern times? It’s a unicorn! Unlike JURASSIC PARK, I highly doubt this release will spawn a 30+ year franchise, and that’s great news from my perspective. I love seeing something original that also happens to be incredibly well done.

DEATH OF A UNICORN opens exclusively in theatres on Friday, March 28th.