Death of a Unicorn

I watched an advanced screening of Death of a Unicorn (2025) this evening in theaters. The storyline follows a lawyer and his daughter on their way to his boss's mansion, where he hopes to secure a major promotion. However, when they accidentally hit and kill a unicorn on the drive there, what was supposed to be a routine business trip takes a bizarre and deadly turn.

Written and directed by Alex Scharfman in his feature debut, the film stars Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Anthony Carrigan (Gotham), Téa Leoni (Jurassic Park III), Will Poulter (The Maze Runner), and Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park).

This is the definition of Hollywood horror-slick, well-produced, and predictable. The writing has some unique elements but also reminded me of Resident Evil in terms of its sci-fi horror aspects. The CGI is top-notch, and the gore is well-executed, though at times it's a bit overdone. The horror elements are solid, with some entertaining kills and at least one effective jump scare. The cast is excellent across the board, but Anthony Carrigan, as Griff, steals the show. I wasn't a big fan of the ending, but it fits the Hollywood horror formula.

In conclusion, Death of a Unicorn is entertaining enough to keep your attention but won't make anyone's best horror list for 2025. I'd score it a 6/10 and recommend seeing it once.

A good R-rated YA novel with laughs and themes of human weakness. Presentation of the Unicorns needed better animation or more practical substitutes and finesse. Less could've been more since many of the deaths ended up being boring and predictable.

However, I do recommend you see it on the big screen. Sound design, set design and some of these big performances still deserve it. The hot-tub nepo-baby was funny(Poulter) And a certain heroic butler roll was made larger by its actor (Carrigan).

This may not apply to you, but I also found the very end confusing. Seems like someone wrote a cover-up for the first ending they didn't like.

If this movie took itself seriously, I'd give it a low score. But it's so obviously dumb fun mixed with satire, I feel like a low score would miss the point.

If you like dark humor, jump scares, and a bit of gore, I'd recommend it to you. The characters are more caricatures. The satire is not subtle. The humor is low brow. And I say all of this as QUALITIES of the movie.

The level of writing is very much like that of 80s or 90s era sitcoms. The performances are fine - adequate. I left the theater understanding that I saw a "bad" movie by most standards. But I didn't regret spending money on the ticket. To me, it's one of those "so bad, it's good" kind of movies.

If I have the opportunity to see it again, maybe on a streaming service, I will.

The good- pretty cool lore and set up for the unicorns. Promising father-daughter set up, some good satire of the rich and powerful. Will Poulter is the best of the cast.

The bad- The father's character development felt very unearned, most of the movie I was praying for his bloody comeuppance. The rich family was too one-note for the amount of screen time they get. CGI was noticeably mediocre but understandable for a low budget movie.

With a rewrite or two, and some more money for CGI and action sequences, this could have been a sleeper surprise with genuine sequel potential as I really did like what they did with the unicorns. But because most all the characters were one-dimensional, the movie drags in the middle third as you wait for the inevitable. When it does finally happen, it's somewhat entertaining but let down by its poor CGI, so-so action sequences, and clunky plot resolution. The first two are forgivable given its budget, the third is not.

I don't regret watching this movie, I just wish that it had lived up to its potential.

I love horror comedies and am ecstatic with the surge of movies we've seen in this subgenre. But most are lacking on the horror side. They're more fun than scary. Death of a Unicorn does the horror side well. There are a few moments that gave me OG Jurassic Park vibes with the tension/suspense.

The comedy side is strong but inconsistent. Some attempts I found hilarious while others fall flat, but not to the point of cringe. I enjoyed the entire cast as well as the visually unique characters.

I do want to point out a couple standouts. One is, to no one's surprise, Jenna Ortega. She has become a full-blown star and has taken the mantle of horror queen like none other. And Will Poulter, once known as the weird eyebrows dude from We're the Millers, continues to impress with vastly differing characters.

I had a fun time with this movie and think most fans of the subgenre will as well.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday Dolby Cinema 3/27/2025)