Death of a Unicorn review: 'Elementary level horror'

Whimsical, bloodthirsty unicorns seem like a match made in heaven for a horror movie, and it is, just don't do what Death of a Unicorn does.

You would think a movie called Death of a Unicorn, would revel in the absurdity of it all. Watching these beloved mythical creatures turn into bloodthirsty monsters should bathe in how ridiculous of a premise it is.

It should relish the untapped opportunity for a whimsically gory but fun time.

What it shouldn’t do is try and make an overdone commentary on how the rich will exploit anything and everything.

I went into Alex Scharfman’s writer and directorial debut, Death of a Unicorn, expecting a straightforward horror comedy. From the cast alone - consisting of Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega and Will Poulter - and the promotion, you would expect just that.

On the way travelling to see his cancer-ridden billionaire boss Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant) at a weekend retreat, bumbling father Elliot (Paul Rudd) and overly cynical daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) crash into a unicorn.

It’s not until a complete misreading of the situation that Elliot shockingly but hilariously bludgeons the unicorn to death with a tyre jack.

Even then, it's not until one of Leopold's guards shoots the unicorn in the head later that it finally dies.

If you're worried it sounds cruel don’t worry, the unicorns get their revenge back tenfold in much more horrific ways.

After the untimely death, Elliot, Ridley and the Leopald family discover that the mythical beast has the ability to cure anything. So, like billionaires do, they find a way to exploit this death for their gain. 

It slowly dawns on you, but you soon realise that wrapped up in this bonkers plot, is a sincere and serious commentary about rich people's exploitation. While getting hunted by unicorns.

Why you may ask? I’m not sure. 

Of course, there is a world where you pair a bizarre unrealistic plot with a serious hard-hitting message and it works. After all, Coralie Fargeat’s, The Substance, last year took this concept all the way to Oscar success.

But unlike Fargeats masterpiece, Scharfman doesn't quite have the writing prowess she possesses. The script is full to the brim of generic horror movie tropes that have hindered the genre for the last two decades.

Oh no, they are splitting up. Wow, they are making decisions that no sane person would make. This is new, a father and daughter can’t get on the same page only for them to reconcile by the end. 

Luckily for him, the cast he assembled is charming enough to make sure these cliches are at least done well.

Will Poulter’s Shepard may be the Leopold family’s disappointment, but he is Scharfman’s saving grace. He carries the majority of the comedic moments on his insecure, tech-bro shoulders. While she can sometimes boarder to close to characters she has played in the past (Astrid in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wednesday Adams from Wednesday), Ortega is impressive once again as Ridley. Which you would come to suspect from this generations scream queen.

But, perhaps Scharfman’s biggest failure is his use of Paul Rudd. It’s a true challenge to make someone as loveable as him unlikeable, but by the halfway point, you would be just as happy to see a unicorn horn pulverised through his chest just as much as you would the Leopold’s.

Death of a Unicorn is at its best when it embraces how silly it all is. Watching these vicious unicorns cause havoc and kill these humans in progressively gruesome ways, despite the low stakes, is fun to watch.

But too often he takes you away from the violence and the humor to make some generic point about how rich people can be evil.

The building blocks were there for a great horror comedy. The unicorns were viscous, the kills ghastly and the cast talented enough to strike both tones how intended, but the constant change in tone and one-dimensional writing halt it from ever kicking into gear.

The best thing that could have happened was for Elliot to pay attention while driving. The Leopolds would have continued their evil escapades, the unicorns would have remained in secrecy and I wouldn’t have had to sit through a mediocre horror movie.

Rating: ⭐⭐1/2