Review: Death of a Unicorn

28 July, 2025 William Eguizabal 0 Comments 2 categories

Title: Death of a Unicorn
MPA Rating: R
Director: Alex Scharfman
Starring: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

What It Is: Elliott (Rudd) is a bit of a nervous wreck. He’s about to meet with his ailing billionaire boss, Odell (Richard E. Grant), at his mansion to discuss the company’s succession plan. Accompanying him is his daughter, Ridley (Ortega), who couldn’t be less interested in the trip—or in being there at all.

On the way, an accident occurs: they hit the titular majestic, horned horse, and it may have died. However, this magical creature seems to offer something to humanity that no one fully understands.

What We Think: A24 dropping a huge dud with this one was not on my bingo card. Director Alex Scharfman’s lack of experience really shows—there’s a noticeably disjointed quality to the entire film. It’s crowded with characters who are, frankly, unlikable in any meaningful way. Chief among them is Jenna Ortega, who comes across as downright insufferable. Normally, I find her to be a perfectly capable actress, but not here. Maybe that was the point—but who’s to say? This is almost as big a miss for A24 as Slice was—and that’s saying something.

Our Grade: D+, This was a huge disappointment for me—and likely an even bigger one for die-hard A24 fans. One has to wonder what the modus operandi was here. I’m not even sure why A24 picked this up in the first place. Maybe the quirky concept won them over? It’s hard to say, because as I sat through the film, I could hardly believe how dumb the whole thing was.

It never quite reaches camp. Perhaps if it had shown all its cards and fully leaned into the absurdity, the premise might’ve worked. As it stands, this one’s a skip for me. But if it somehow strikes your fancy, feel free to click the JustWatch link below.