By Jate Britton
Videographer
On Mar. 27, 2025, Alex Scharfman’s “Death of a Unicorn” came out for audiences to see in theaters. The film features several noteworthy actors and actresses, such as Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd and Will Poulter. “Death of a Unicorn” is a fun and enjoyable movie for fans of fantasy horror and gore, although it can be predictable in some places.
The movie follows a widower Elliot and his daughter Ridley as they visit his wealthy cancer-stricken boss, Odell Leopold’s estate to make a business proposal. On the drive there, they hit a unicorn with their car and incidentally discover that its blood can cure ailments and illnesses. Once Odell discovers that this unicorn may hold the cure to his illness, he seeks to exploit it for himself before proceeding to sell it to other millionaires who will pay enough to be healthy forever.
“Death of a Unicorn” is not a movie for the squeamish, as it doesn’t shield you from any of the goriness present throughout. There aren’t many gory scenes during the first half of the film, but the second half makes up for it. The excessive amount of blood and guts being displayed wholly on screen enhances the horror element of the movie, especially for viewers who are sensitive to gory visuals. While the gore isn’t in the range of horror movies like “SAW” or “The Terrifier,” fans of gore will certainly enjoy these scenes.
The film’s actors and actresses do a great job of portraying the shock, fear and awe of encountering the mythical creature. Jenna Ortega’s performance being a concerned teen who may witness the extinction of the unicorn for materialistic purposes. While Paul Rudd’s character is less likeable, as he is more willing to agree with his boss in order to receive a promotion, his acting convincingly illustrates a widower who is willing to set his morals aside to support his daughter.
The fact that the primary character who is disturbed by the situation happening around them is a teenager who is less materialistic helps to convey the message of the film where the wealthy are willing to hurt others and lack morals if it means it will earn them money. The unicorn is used to represent reputation laundering, as the wealthy exploit it and justify it to themselves and the people around them as a valuable cure that they only want to use for good, meanwhile exploiting the unicorn as a means of making money.
While a few moments of the film felt formulaic and foreseeable, the overall movie was a very fun and interesting experience. I would recommend this movie to fans of fantasy, horror or even someone who can’t decide what to watch. This movie is not anything groundbreaking or a likely best picture nominee, but it is a fun viewing experience and worth the time to see.
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