'Death of a Unicorn' SXSW review: Mythical creatures go wild in bloody satire from A24
Courtesy of A24
Writer-director Alex Scharfman’s directorial debut doesn’t hold back with its premise. The whole film revolves around a simple, yet absurd question: What would you do if you accidentally ran over a unicorn? Given that “Death of a Unicorn” hails from A24—known for its creatively ambitious, often boundary-pushing projects—you can expect the film to go in directions you won’t see coming, packed with outlandish, bloody violence. If you can imagine “Jurassic Park” on acid, you'll begin to grasp the tone Scharfman is aiming for.
A big part of what makes the film work is the cast’s willingness to dive into the madness, no matter where the script takes them. The movie opens with Elliott (Paul Rudd), a lawyer for a pharmaceutical company, who takes his daughter, Ridley (Jenna Ortega), on a weekend retreat to meet with the prestigious Leopold family—Odell (Richard E. Grant), his wife Belinda (Téa Leoni), and their son, Shepard (Will Poulter). The Leopolds are trying to wrap up some family affairs as Odell, terminally ill with cancer, wants to appoint Elliott as the family proxy, which Elliott is eager to accept, especially since it would secure financial support for Ridley.
Elliot and Ridley aren’t close, having drifted apart after the death of his wife and her mother. Their strained relationship worsens after they accidentally kill a unicorn on their way to the Leopold family’s isolated mansion. From there, things spiral into total chaos as the Leopold family—whose dynamics clearly draw inspiration from the infamous Sackler family—sees an opportunity to exploit the unicorn’s blood, which possesses magical properties: curing allergies, improving eyesight, and, most notably, potentially curing cancer.
Despite Ridley’s warnings about the dangerous consequences of tampering with the unicorn’s remains—she delves into some unsettling lore that foreshadows disaster—no one listens, and predictably, all hell breaks loose. The film takes its time setting up the family dynamics, with Richard E. Grant perfectly cast as the ailing patriarch and Leoni playing his clueless wife.
However, it's Will Poulter who steals the show, delivering an especially memorable turn as the oblivious finance bro, Shepard. Poulter clearly enjoys every moment and he injects the film with a manic and wild energy. Supporting performances from “Barry's” Anthony Carrigan and Sunita Mani help round out the cast, but it’s Rudd and Ortega, as the movie’s emotional core, who keep the story grounded amidst the madness of a rampaging unicorn army.
Once the unicorns are unleashed, the pace rarely slows down, with the film diving headfirst into chaos. However, the repetitive nature of these sequences can feel a bit exhausting. The plot sometimes feels stagnant, particularly as the unicorn lore is barely fleshed out beyond a superficial explanation. And while the “eat-the-rich” theme may seem overplayed in recent years, it’s hard to recall a satire where unicorns are literally doing the eating.
The film does touch on the wealthy elite's access to life-saving medicine and subtly explores grief, but it doesn’t delve as deeply into these themes as I had hoped. Not to mention the heavy use of CGI occasionally pulls you out of the experience. While digital effects are inevitable in a film with such fantastical elements, I was surprised by the lack of practical effects, which might have added a more tangible, immersive quality to the madness.
Despite these drawbacks, “Death of a Unicorn” is still a fun, unabashedly goofy ride. It sticks the landing with a surprisingly solid emotional conclusion, and if you’re watching with a packed audience, you're likely to experience some genuine moments of laughter, cheers, and gasps—at one point, an entire crowd clapped when a certain character met their demise. It may not be a home run, but it’s definitely a solid triple, and that’s enough to make it worth the ride.
Grade: B
DEATH OF A UNICORN premiered at the SXSW film festival. A24 will release the movie in theaters on Friday, March 28th.
