Close Menu
Eden Prairie Local News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Wednesday, May 21
    • About
      • About EPLN
      • Team
      • EPLN in the News
      • Policies
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Threads LinkedIn
    Subscribe
    Eden Prairie Local News
    • Home
    • Schools
    • Business
    • Sports
    • Public Safety
    • City
    • Calendar
    • Subscribe
    • Donate
    • More
      • Construction
      • Outdoors
      • Politics
      • Health
      • Spirituality
      • Community Service
      • Legacy
      • Obituaries
      • Arts
      • Family
      • Holidays
      • Letter to Editor
      • Listen
      • Jobs
    Eden Prairie Local News
    Home»Arts»Little magic to be found in ‘Death of a Unicorn’
    Arts

    Little magic to be found in ‘Death of a Unicorn’

    Hunter FriesenBy Hunter FriesenMarch 27, 2025Updated:March 27, 20254 Mins Read
    The cast of the film Death of a Unicorn
    The cast of “Death of a Unicorn.” Photo courtesy of A24

    A few weeks ago, I panned the A24 film “Opus” for its derivativeness. It was nothing more than a half-baked copycat of the “regular person finds themselves surrounded by a cult” movies we’ve been avalanched by over the years. And now, as if they didn’t learn their lesson (or didn’t care), the studio is back again with another venture down a well-trodden road, this time making the lateral movement into the territory of eat-the-rich and late-stage capitalism.

    From first-time writer/director Alex Scharfman, “Death of a Unicorn” is exactly the type of movie you’d expect based on the trailer – or if you’ve seen any of the combinations of “Glass Onion,” “Parasite,” “The Menu,” or “Triangle of Sadness.” You’ve got your obviously corrupt wealthy family, the Leopolds – pharmaceutical billionaires who’ve secluded themselves in the Canadian Rockies under the guise of philanthropy. Leading the pack is the terminally ill Odell (Richard E. Grant), watched over by his wife (Téa Leoni) and buffoonish son, Shep (Will Poulter).

    Beleaguered father Elliot (Paul Rudd) is sent to handle some paperwork before Odell passes, his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega) in tow — an effort to use the weekend to reconnect after the death of his wife/her mother. But even in this tranquil slice of natural paradise, death still seems to follow the duo. They strike a horse with their rental car, leaving Elliot to bludgeon it out of its misery with a tire iron.

    Except this horse is much bigger than expected, has a glowing horn attached to its head, and magic blood that cures Elliot’s vision and Ridley’s acne when it splatters on them. No one wants to say what they’re all thinking — until Ridley finally blurts it out: “It’s a unicorn!”

    Advertisement
    Ad for Washburn McReavy

    Of course, when nature hands humanity a gift, we immediately look to exploit it for the wealthy. Odell calls up his fellow members of the 1% of the 1% club, making millions per minute as he promises vials of blood, horn shavings, and every possible cut of unicorn meat. Scharfman’s script hits all the familiar beats through these initial proceedings. We’re supposed to laugh at the absurdity of it all, except that the jokes just aren’t funny enough, and the collective public mood isn’t game for something like this anymore.

    That’s not to say the material is entirely unfunny. Actors like Poulter and “Barry” star Anthony Carrigan – appearing as the Leopolds’ mistreated butler – spin this straw into a few light chuckles here and there. There’s also some slight amusement to be had in witnessing the violent dismemberment of bad people at the hands (or, in this case, hoofs and horns) of unicorns. Killing one of their own will not go unpunished by these mystical creatures, a warning Ridley tries to instill after using her art history degree to do some research.

    But as the people we want to die get picked off one by one, we’re only left with the people that we’re supposed to be rooting for. Except Rudd and Ortega are underused and flat, leaving not much room to care about their problems. A horror movie filled with purely guilty pleasures is fine by itself, just don’t try to sell me spoonfuls of social commentary and trauma if you aren’t going to put in the effort to make it taste good.

    ‘Death of a Unicorn’ Review 3/5 Stars

    A24 will release “Death of a Unicorn” in theaters nationwide on March 28.


    Eden Prairie resident Hunter Friesen is a film critic who owns and operates The Cinema Dispatch, a website where he writes reviews, essays, and everything in between. He currently serves as the president of the Minnesota Film Critics Association and travels the globe covering film festivals both big and small. To view his entire body of work, you can visit his website and Instagram.

    Comments
    We offer several ways for our readers to provide feedback. Your comments are welcome on our social media posts (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn). We also encourage Letters to the Editor; submission guidelines can be found on our Contact Us page. If you believe this story has an error or you would like to get in touch with the author, please connect with us.

    Be Informed
    Sign up for the FREE email newsletter from EPLN
    Subscribe
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleSouthWest Transit’s new bus route between EP and MSP begins Monday
    Next Article Sen. Cwodzinski backs St. Francis students in book protest

    More to READ

    4 Mins Read

    St. Andrew choir to perform at Carnegie Hall

    May 15, 2025
    5 Mins Read

    ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ sends Cruise out with a bloated bang

    May 14, 2025
    4 Mins Read

    Big laughs and even bigger dresses in ‘The Nacirema Society’ at the Guthrie

    May 11, 2025
    Subscribe to get EPLN in your inbox for FREE!
    Recent Articles

    EPHS synchronized swim team advances to state meet

    May 20, 2025

    Minnesota legislative session ends, still with a long to-do list

    May 20, 2025

    Former Eden Prairie man sentenced for posting nude images of woman online without her consent

    May 20, 2025

    May bike party undeterred by wind and cold

    May 20, 2025

    Walter Jerome ‘Jerry’ Dustrud

    May 20, 2025
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    INN Network Member Guidestar Seal
    Eden Prairie Local News is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization EIN 85-4248265 | Copyright © 2020-2025
    • About
    • Policies
    • Jobs
    • Contact
    • Advertising
    • Subscribe
    • Donate

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.