Death of a Unicorn (2025) is written and directed by Alex Scharfman. It stars Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant, Tea Leoni, Anthony Carrigan, Jessica Hynes, Sunita Mani, and Steve Park. The story follows Elliot (Rudd) and his teenage daughter, Ridley (Ortega), as they travel to the isolated estate of Odell (Grant), a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO who plans on hiring Elliot as his personal lawyer. Shortly before reaching their destination, Elliot hits and kills a mysterious animal that he and Ridley suspect, against their better judgment, is a unicorn. When Odell and his various greedy family members discover that the creature’s blood holds unprecedented healing properties, they immediately see it as an irresistible money-making opportunity. Despite Ridley’s discovery that the creature’s death could lead to a violent comeuppance, Odell and his family push forward. This eventually leads to the arrival of more unicorns intent on exacting revenge on those who hurt one of their own. As events quickly spiral out of control, Elliot realizes that protecting Ridley means more than just securing her financial future. 

Although the script is mostly a mixed bag, the committed cast is ultimately the film’s saving grace. Rudd and Ortega don’t deliver anything particularly new with their performances, but it’s undeniable that they provide the film with a good amount of star power. There are a lot of performers out there who are equally talented as these two, but what sets them apart is their natural charisma. It’s rarely something that can be taught, but if an actor has it, it easily elevates their more so-so performances. Ortega’s typical teenage horror protagonist, who no one believes simply because she’s young, is an inoffensive/servicable character. Elliot, on the other hand, is somewhat frustrating. Rudd delivers the material well, but the character is gratingly dense throughout. Even once people start dying around him, he can’t stop being a “yes man” to all of Odell and his family’s extremely stupid ideas. The script waits far too long to provide the character with some kind of realization/change of heart, and when it does eventually happen, there isn’t a clear reason why. He shifts as soon as it’s convenient for the script as opposed to when it would actually make sense for the character. The guy is frustratingly dimwitted, but at least Rudd feels like the perfect person to portray him.

Ortega and Rudd are mostly likable, but the supporting cast is the true standout. Carrigan, as Odell’s stoic servant who slowly reveals his personality as events become more dire, feels like a tonally appropriate addition. Even though he never feels integral to the story, he does provide some of the film’s few effective jokes. Although we’ve seen their kind of characters before, Grant and Leoni are likewise fun as uber-wealthy one percenters whose money and power have essentially turned them into amoral bufoons. Rounding out the central cast is Will Poulter as Shepard, Odell’s fun-loving, drug-addicted son. He gives what’s easily the film’s most memorable performance – something he achieves by perfectly emulating the darkly comedic tone. He’s by far the film’s most scummy character, but he’s also its most funny and complex character. Will Poulter started his career by co-starring in the 2013 comedy, We’re the Millers, and arguably gave that film’s best comedic performance. In Death of a Unicorn, he not only proves that he’s maintained his comedic chops, but that he’s also improved them. If I had to choose one reason to check this movie out, it’d be Will Poulter, no question. 

The film is essentially exactly what the trailer sold it as, and that may disappoint people who were expecting the typical “elevated horror” experience A24 is known for. If you can detach yourself from those kinds of expectations, the movie works as a more traditional horror-comedy experience that’s mainly focused on straightforward fun rather than original ideas or abstract themes. It’s well-paced and consistently builds on the zany nature of its premise, but it ultimately suffers from one very common problem in horror-comedies: it waters down the best aspects of both genres in fear that leaning too far into one might undermine the other. I couldn’t help but feel like I just wanted the movie to choose one tonal direction and drop the other. Instead, the kills are forgettable, the jokes rarely land, and it all results in an experience that isn’t bad, but definitely feels diluted. It also doesn’t help that certain moments are either silly (even for this film), confusing, or outright illogical. It’s still fun, but it’s clear the filmmakers didn’t give a rat’s ass about being careful. 

Overall, despite its many flaws and missteps, Death of a Unicorn is a serviceably fun horror-comedy romp that delivers on the basic implications of its premise. That being said, the film is never scary or funny enough to make a truly lasting impression. Thankfully, it’s slightly redeemed by Will Poulter’s hilarious supporting character and the script’s surprisingly good pacing. I’m also a sucker for an original premise, which this movie has. Yeah, it’s not particularly complex, but a killer unicorn pretty much sells itself. It’s heavily flawed, but I actually had more fun with it than I thought I would. B-