Death of a Unicorn Is 5 Pounds of Purple Poop In a 10-Pound Bag

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In recent times, the wealthy appear quite indulgent, making it challenging for a film about consuming them to feel lacking in substance. However, that seems to be the case with the upcoming horror comedy, Death of a Unicorn, which was screened at SXSW Film Festival before its theatrical release on March 28. The antagonists are the Leopolds, a trio whose wealth stems from the pharmaceutical industry for an extra villainous touch. The father, Odell (Richard E. Grant), is unyieldingly arrogant despite his terminal cancer, while his wife, Belinda (Téa Leoni), is preoccupied with using their charitable foundation to polish their tarnished reputation. Their only child, Shepard (Will Poulter), fits the stereotype of a spoiled young man struggling with substance abuse. The characters are written so one-dimensionally, all sharing similar manipulative and self-serving traits, that it weakens their individuality. Despite the current era of oligarchy where the wealthy flaunt themselves as being above ordinary people’s needs and laws, and despite clear parallels to the Sacklers, the Leopolds come off as generic monsters rather than relatable ones.

The main focus of the movie, directed by first-time writer-director Alex Scharfman, appears to be Elliot Kintner, portrayed by Paul Rudd, who serves as the VP of ethical compliance for the Leopolds. Elliot, a widower, is desperate to emulate the Leopolds’ esteemed status, sacrificing his relationship with his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) in the process. He takes Ridley along on a weekend trip to the Leopolds’ luxurious Canadian wilderness lodge to curry favor with them and secure a position on their board. Elliot’s character is portrayed as a man who is so deeply in denial about his actions that it borders on dissociation, constantly showing signs of confusion that quickly turn into submissive complacency. Rudd delivers a performance that, unfortunately, lacks depth. The intriguing aspect of the film’s title, Death of a Unicorn, comes into play as Elliot accidentally hits one of these mythical creatures during their journey to the lodge. Only Ridley initially recognizes what it is, but its body later proves to have healing properties, which is useful for Odell, who recovers from a previous illness. However, the unicorn also has parents who are larger and more violent, and they soon arrive seeking their missing child.

In essence, the film “Death of a Unicorn” contains enough material for an engaging 25-minute short, but it’s stretched over the length of a full-length feature. The impressive cast, featuring Anthony Carrigan from “Barry” and Jessica Hynes from “Spaced,” along with Sunita Mani and Steve Park as scientists, is strong enough to maintain the movie’s pace for more than it warrants. However, by its halfway point, “Death of a Unicorn” seems to be merely keeping busy, delaying the arrival of the adult unicorns, sending a character named Ridley (an art history major) on a quest to study unicorn tapestries, and repetitively portraying Elliot’s dilemma of choosing his employers over his daughter.

Director Scharfman appears to be intrigued by the concept of unicorn violence, both inflicted upon magical creatures and used by them against deserving human characters. The image of Grant cutting into a unicorn steak, still oozing purple blood, is one that will stick in my mind, but much of the rest of the film relies on similar comedic elements, which lose their edge by the third or fourth repetition. The middle part of “Death of a Unicorn” seems to be filler material before the main event, and the unicorn-threat sequence feels like a subpar imitation of “Jurassic Park.

The film titled “Death of a Unicorn” was supervised by Ari Aster, who has been actively expanding his production portfolio and has been associated with numerous eccentric projects such as Kristoffer Borgli’s “Dream Scenario“, Yorgos Lanthimos’s upcoming remake of “Save the Green Planet!“, and “Bugonia“. Given Aster’s past work, it is understandable why the proposal for “Death of a Unicorn” might have been intriguing, considering its blend of contemporary relevance and brutal fantasy, similar to a film like “Ready or Not“, but with mythical creatures instead of demonic pacts. However, while watching the movie, these elements seem more like ideas sketched on a whiteboard rather than a fully realized vision brought to life. The joke about a Lisa Frank standard having the power to tear someone apart doesn’t provide enough substance to carry an entire film. It appears that even unicorns are willing to devour the wealthy, but unfortunately, “Death of a Unicorn” fails to deliver on this spectacle effectively.

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2025-03-11 15:54