The unicorn. A fantastical creature that has adorned fantasy book covers, childhood bedrooms, mousepads, and just about anything you can think of. But in Alex Scharfman’s monster comedy Death of a Unicorn, the horned equestrian is portrayed as a misunderstood, but still oh-so-vicious killing machine. Much like Cocaine Bear, Death of a Unicorn takes the conventions of a monster movie, and splatters blood and gore onto the walls, while still being incredibly silly. What makes Death of a Unicorn go the extra mile is also the massive heart it wears on its sleeve.
What Is ‘Death of a Unicorn’ About?

Elliott (Paul Rudd) is trying to be a good dad to his teenage daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega), especially after his wife’s passing. Their relationship is strained, and in the opening scene, as they wait on an airplane, Elliott desperately tries to savor a tender moment as Ridley rests her head on his shoulder. Ridley is accompanying Elliott to a company retreat at his employer, Odell Leopold’s (Richard E. Grant) estate in the Canadian Rockies. Leopold is dying of a terminal illness, and there seems to be nothing left that can save him, which is ironic since he, his snooty wife Belinda (Téa Leoni), and his son, the aspiring, drug-addicted entrepreneur Shepard (Will Poulter) run a pharmaceutical company.
On their way to the retreat, Elliott and Ridley get into a freak car accident where they hit and supposedly kill a unicorn. Elliott is swift in putting the creature out of its misery, splattering purple blood onto him and his daughter. Upon arriving at the Leopold estate, Elliott and Ridley realize that their health conditions have mysteriously healed, upon contact with the unicorn blood. Ridley’s acne has vanished while Elliott’s allergies have gone away. As it turns out, the unicorn that Elliott and Ridley supposedly killed is still alive, and the Leopold family wants to extort its resources for financial gain. But, of course, more dangerous threats await them, especially as the unicorn’s parents catch wind of what’s going on, and unleash bloody havoc onto the estate.
‘Death of a Unicorn’ Knows Exactly What Kind of Movie It Is

Image via A24

Amidst the zany trailers for Death of a Unicorn, amusingly set to The Beach Boys, the movie markets itself as “from the studio behind Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which once you see the movie, you’ll realize that’s a bit of a strange choice. Sure, the movie proudly wears its absurdity on its sleeve, but it’s also not too deep or complex, and it’s not setting out to be anything more than a gory horror-comedy.
That doesn’t mean that the film isn’t without its heart. While nearly every character is pretty despicable, Ortega and Rudd are just so naturally charismatic. While we excitedly wait to see the Leopold family (hopefully) be ripped to shreds, you can’t help but root for Elliott and Ridley. There’s an innocence to them, and one that not many actors can pull off that well. The father-and-daughter dynamic between the two successfully manages to tug on your heartstrings, while also feeling quite relatable, even with a murderous unicorn roaming around in the background.
The Leopolds are obnoxious, but hysterical. Poulter is without a doubt the biggest standout of the cast as Shepard, confidently mixing the comic timing he’s shown in movies like We’re the Millers as well as convincingly playing a douchebag, which he’s shown before in Midsommar. Leoni is also a highlight, in her first film role in over a decade, as the smarmy Belinda, and is more than confident at playing a character that you want to root against.
Alex Scharfman Delivers a Magical Directorial Debut

Image via SXSW

After watching Death of a Unicorn, you may be surprised to learn that the film’s director, Alex Scharfman, hasn’t directed a film before, but he embraces the movie’s zaniness. The unicorn designs have a unique and practical feel to them; they don’t just look like horned horses. They feel like monsters, and while it is goofy to see something we’re so used to seeing in a certain, depicted as killing machines, it does work.
The only time the movie ever really lags is with building tension. There are a couple of moments where Death of a Unicorn attempts to deliver jump-scares, but between balancing the one-liners and kill scenes, the movie mainly only ever feels like a comedy. That doesn’t stop the kill scenes from being pretty gnarly and vicious. The movie never restrains itself from getting creative in showing ways that a unicorn can kill a human being. It’s the kind of movie that will probably work better when seen with an audience, rather than at home.
“Eat the Rich” has become a bit of a subgenre as of late, especially with satire, and Death of a Unicorn falls under that umbrella. It’s not subtle, but if you’re looking for subtlety, you probably shouldn’t be walking into a movie called Death of a Unicorn. It’s a political movie, but one that addresses issues that most audiences can agree on. Not that it takes a “both sides” narrative. Absolutely not. But it confidently portrays big pharma for the monsters that they are. At its core, the unicorns aren’t monsters, it’s the Leopold family.
Death of a Unicorn is a delight; a clever, sharp-horned, and violent horror-comedy that demands to be seen on the big screen with an audience. Thanks to a wonderful cast and confident direction, you’ll get exactly what you want from a movie with such a bizarre concept.
Death of a Unicorn premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival and opens in theaters on March 28.

Death of a Unicorn

Death of a Unicorn delivers sharp (horned) satire, bloody kills, and one of the best ensemble casts of the year.

Release Date

March 28, 2025

Director

Alex Scharfman

Writers

Alex Scharfman

Pros & Cons

Everybody in the cast is excellent, with Will Poulter and Téa Leoni being the biggest standouts.
While not subtle, the satire feels incredibly timely.

The movie’s attempts to build tension never fully work.