Directed By Alex Scharfman

Starring – Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Will Poulter

The Plot – Father-Daughter duo Elliott (Rudd) and Ridley (Ortega) hit a unicorn with their car and bring it to the wilderness retreat of a mega-wealthy pharmaceutical CEO.

Rated R for strong violent content, gore, adult language and some drug use.

Death Of A Unicorn | Official Trailer HD | A24

POSITIVES

Regardless of my conflicted opinions on the finished product of the film, there’s an appreciation factor to even see a film about menacingly killer unicorns on the big screen, with an artistic freedom supplanted by A24 to allow Scharfman and his production to commit to the gimmick and get as chaotic as possible with it. I’m guessing the uniqueness to this gimmick is what ultimately drove such Hollywood A-listers like Ortega and Rudd to the opportunity, as between implanting a mythical background to the subject matter that does work particularly well to the origin story of these breathtaking creatures and the story’s exploration, and the chance to work with a fearless filmmaker like Scharfman, it crafts an energetically campy experience so unlike anything that either of them have done to this point in their careers, with a noteworthy turn from Ortega that elicits more emotionality than we’ve come to expect from the meticulously reserved actress. Aside from the fact that Ridley undoubtedly represents the heart and compassionate side to humanity that isn’t present with any other of these characters, Jenna’s conveying facials of fear and overwhelming vulnerability are the only moments where palpable suspense and tension is earned in the depths of scene development, and though it’s not the most memorable work dramatically that we’ve seen from Ortega, it isn’t the typically one-dimensional sulking that so many movies have underappreciated her for, proving why she is still a force to be reckoned with for the next generation of actors and actresses currently taking over the silver screen. However, if Ortega represents the consciousness of the movie, Will Poulter feels like the devil on its right shoulder, with an anxiousness to energy, and constant ruthlessness to insensitivity that serves the singular focus of greed to his often dishonorable intentions. Poulter has a capability of unlocking these detestable characters in ways that effectively trigger the intended reaction from the audience, without his portrayal coming across as unnaturally cartoonish, and with unapologetically bitter delivers inside of coldly unforgiving assessments, serves as that constantly irritating presence in horror movies that you can’t wait to see meet their untimely demise. Aside from impactful performances and rare opportunities, the film is a far greater horror movie than it is a comedy, especially once the movie wholeheartedly commits itself to this sentiment, around the halfway mark. While the horror is certainly nothing original or imaginative, as evidenced by the familiar list of tropes that it constantly abides by, the tone and look of the movie evolve significantly to accommodate the survive the night narrative that blends so many of these movies together, and the foggy surroundings, bleakly persistent score, and increasing focus on the titular antagonists accessibly tap into the campiness in ways that the aforementioned humor never quite found comfortable consistency with, serving not only as the vital moments where my interests and investment finally peaked, after a sluggish start, but also the moments where I finally got to experience what I paid to see; vengeful beasts of the fantastical world brutally devastating their human adversaries. The kills themselves are brutally unforgiving, even if they’re not shot and sequenced particularly compelling, and though the effects work of the unicorns lack the tangibility and texture for believability, their unnatural movements do work especially well with the established tone that Scharfman was going for, proving the distracting emphasis to be a great service to never-before-seen creatures that should otherwise instantly elicit silliness in the surroundings.

NEGATIVES

Without question, the movie’s single biggest failure is in the comedic half of its horror comedy hybrid that not only saw so much of the first half transitioning by like molasses pouring out of a frozen bottle, but also this inescapably disjointed feeling with the movie’s finished product that sees it wanting to be so much to so many different genres, but instead comes up as flatly ineffective as disappointment can capably conjure. To be fair, there were one or two punchlines that effectively registered, mostly whenever Poulter’s character shouts out absurdities to characters seeking resolution, however the lack of effort or ingenuity that comes with the movie’s various comedic set-ups feels tragic to unload on strong comedic talents like Rudd, Ortega, or even Tea Leoni, creating situational adversities to overcome for actors who are traditionally confident with the improvisation that they casually unload, all the while directly taking the camp factor out of a movie that emphatically demands it in plot device. The script also stumbles on the admirable but shallow desire to unload some unforeseen social commentary to the engagement, involving the bureaucracies of big pharma and how upper class greed constantly stands in the way of these medical breakthroughs that never reach their intended audience. The thesis itself is compelling enough to want to watch it play out on screen, but it never evolves or expands upon this initial sentiment that everybody watching could already pick out from their own medicinal experiences, and while it plays frivolously superfluous to this particular engagement, especially as the film’s artistic merits deviate entirely to horror during its superior second half, it does even more harm to any kind of developmental integrity to these characters, particularly that of Rudd’s Elliot, who comes across as naive and even irresponsible to the lives of him and his daughter, which constantly hang in the balance. This wouldn’t be a problem in a genre of anything but horror, but considering it’s one that involves audience investment to make the untimely losses of characters feel monumental, those scattered around the mansion here simply did nothing to elicit any semblance of care or concern for those casually destroyed, and while their demise is part of the fun and appeal that goes into spending 100 minutes with upper class snobbery, there’s very little prolonged suspense or struggle to Scharfman’s direction, leaving these sporadic pay-offs underwhelming to those who were counting down to them. Even in the case of Ortega’s protagonist Ridley, she’s supplanted with a subplot involving the untimely death of her mother, but the script’s inability to commit itself to any further development of the devastating details is what ultimately undercuts the heart and sensitivity of a third act moment between Ridley and Elliott, in which it reaches so forcefully for dramatic underlining, yet comes up humiliatingly cold, as a result of the surface level spin given to what easily should be each character’s single most defining moment of their respective lives. Finally, the aforementioned 100-minute run time does come across as feeling unnecessarily padded, particularly during an opening act involving absolutely zero urgency for the characters, where I completely forgot that other unicorns were coming to avenge the loss of one of their own. This is essentially the case for the entire film, as it sluggishly weaves through each character death with the telegraphed consistency of a variety hour, but it feels so much more evident during this initial opening half hour, with a rushed set-up that had the storytelling feeling like it was rushing to a red light, all the while playing to more of that atmospherically quirky demeanor that tragically and unforgivably wasted away Paul Rudd’s charms during the moments when his character feels like he mattered the most, creating such a difficult welcome mat to want to walk through the rest of the film.

OVERALL
“Death of a Unicorn” clashes horns with a conflicting tone and genre collision that keeps A24’s mystical beast from flying high as artistically intended. Though the film is enhanced by dependably energetic turns from Jenna Ortega and Will Poulter, as well as the ways its script intricately works in the mythic lore and world-building of its majestic creature, the inconsistent execution never materializes into something that feels otherworldly to live up to the reputation of the studio, instead surmising sloppily disjointed storytelling and one-dimensional characters that has this feeling all myth and no magic.

My Grade: 5.2 or D