Having made its world premiere at SXSW, director Alex Scharfman’s DEATH OF A UNICORN transforms the traditionally whimsical unicorn mythos into a darkly comedic and grotesquely imaginative tale. Drenched in satirical wit and dripping with viscera, Scharfman’s film gallops through themes of corporate greed, stolen Native land, and family dysfunction while reveling in horn-splitting carnage. This is no fairy tale. These unicorns are not here to grant wishes. They are out for blood.

Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) start the movie in an awkward car ride that establishes their strained relationship. Elliot is a nervous, allergy-ridden dad who wants to do his best by his daughter but struggles to do it all. Ridley is a fairly typical college student, stuck between adolescence and adulthood, and her newly obtained education and independence put further strain on their already tested dynamic. Their road trip takes a shocking turn when they hit a unicorn. An honest-to-god, one-horned, purple-blooded unicorn now lies dying on the pavement before their eyes. Elliot does the most humane thing he can do and bludgeons it with a tire iron. Not wanting to keep his boss waiting, he throws the magical carcass in his SUV and continues on his way.

Elliot works as an accountant for Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant) and his wealthy family, including Belinda (Téa Leoni) and their son Shepard (Will Poulter). This powerful trio exerts control over Elliot’s life and demands a level of loyalty that he struggles to refuse. When the Leopolds discover the unicorn’s corpse, their reaction is not shock but intrigue. Unicorns possess extraordinary properties, and the Leopolds see an opportunity to harness its powers for their own benefit. However, their plans quickly unravel when they realize this unicorn was not alone. Dead unicorn is actually a dead BABY unicorn, and Mommy and Daddy are not happy. The herd is coming, and they want revenge.

Once the film picks up momentum, DEATH OF A UNICORN fully embraces its absurdity and unleashes the horned horror in full force. The unicorns return for vengeance, and what follows is a massacre. These creatures do not prance through sunlit meadows. They stampede, slice, and impale with a ferocity that rivals the velociraptors in JURASSIC PARK. Eyes are gouged, bodies are shredded, and hooves become instruments of pure brutality. The gory magical creature genre is definitely underutilized with only a few great titles among the list, but this film is making the way for some serious expansion.

While the unicorns are the stars of the show, they play alongside some fantastic human actors as well. Rudd leans into his role as a spineless corporate lackey with his signature blend of charm and unease. Ortega commands the screen with a sharp mix of intelligence and rebellion, proving that art history majors can be total badasses. As the villain, Grant oozes aristocratic malevolence with a performance that is both captivating and detestable. However, despite starring opposite revenge-filled unicorns, Will Poulter is the one stealing the show. His humorous one-liners are only upstaged by the quiet, yet visually hilarious presence of Anthony Carrigan, who plays Griff, the Leopold family’s long-suffering house servant. Carrigan’s quiet yet expressive comedic timing is nothing short of magical.

DEATH OF A UNICORN is a wickedly fun ride that blends satire, horror, and fantasy into an experience as unique as the mythical creature at its core. It skewers corporate greed and family dysfunction with sharp wit and even sharper horns. Unicorns are not just symbols of purity. They can be deadly too. These unicorns do not clip-clop gently into that good night. They stab, stomp, and slaughter their way through it, and watching it all unfold is an absolute blast.

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Amylou Ahava

Amylou Ahava is a PhD student and resident punk rocker. She has studied, taught, and annoyed landlords on three continents and hopes to add a fourth in the future. The childhood dream of being a horror host stemmed into a lifetime love of everything scary and now has led to a focus on disability studies in American horror literature and film. She has been teaching since 2009 and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. She is a pet parent of 7 and hobbies include horror movies, waffles, and books.

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Tags: A24, Alex Scharfman, Amylou Ahava, Anthony Carrigan, comedy, Dan Romer, Fantasy, Giosuè Greco, Horror, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Hynes, Kathryn Erbe, Larry Fong, Paul Rudd, Richard E. Grant, Ron Dulin, satire, St. Vincent, Steve Park, Sunita Mani, Téa Leoni, Thriller, Unicorns, Will Poulter