- A24’s new satirical horror stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega
- It is released on 28 March in the US and 4 April in the UK
- Critics aren’t sure what to make of the outlandish new film
Death Of A Unicorn received its premiere at SXSW and the first reviews have started trickling in.
Starring Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd and Richard E. Grant, the story follows the aftermath of the accidental killing of the mythical being. It centres on Rudd and Ortega, who play a father-daughter duo heading off on a weekend mini-break, while Grant plays Rudd’s dying boss Odell Leopold.
Read more: Death of A Unicorn: All we know about the A24 film
The film’s release is just around the corner, coming out on 28 March in the US and 4 April in the UK.
So, what do the critics think so far? It’s a bit of a mixed bag…
“It’s exciting to see unicorns brought back to the big screen”
A few common threads have emerged from the reviews so far. They have generally been complimentary of the performances of Rudd and Ortega and the film’s ambitious concept. There was greater criticism for its plot and visual effects.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review was mixed, praising Rudd and Ortega’s acting and on-screen chemistry but criticising its plot.
“With its ambitious gonzo premise, Death of a Unicorn starts off on strong footing, but it’s quickly apparent that the story doesn’t have that many places to go,” the review read. “Alex Scharfman [writer and director] sticks to the playbook established by other films in this genre, from The Menu to Triangle of Sadness, so while there’s much in the way of absurd set pieces, the plot itself is quite predictable.”
Read more: What is Jenna Ortega’s Net worth?
Meanwhile, Variety said: “None of this is easy to watch for audiences who love animals, even if these unicorns are dark and fairly menacing in their appearance — not to mention perfectly capable of defending themselves. As first features go, Death of a Unicorn is considerably more ambitious and imaginative than so much of what studios greenlight these days, which goes a fair distance to excuse some of its flaws.
“Still, it’s exciting to see unicorns brought back to the big screen, whatever the form, while Scharfman’s extensive research into their legacy ensures that his subversive take won’t soon be forgotten.”
“Too heavy a reliance on iffy visual effects”
Collider was also complimentary about Rudd and Ortega’s dynamic. “While nearly every character is pretty despicable, Ortega and Rudd are just so naturally charismatic. While we excitedly wait to see the Leopold family (hopefully) be ripped to shreds, you can’t help but root for Elliott and Ridley. There’s an innocence to them, and one that not many actors can pull off that well.
Later, it added: “The only time the movie ever really lags is with building tension. There are a couple of moments where Death of a Unicorn attempts to deliver jump-scares, but between balancing the one-liners and kill scenes, the movie mainly only ever feels like a comedy. That doesn’t stop the kill scenes from being pretty gnarly and vicious. The movie never restrains itself from getting creative in showing ways that a unicorn can kill a human being. It’s the kind of movie that will probably work better when seen with an audience, rather than at home.
The Wrap‘s review, however, was significantly more negative. The outlet said that Death Of A Unicorn was “never as entertaining as its premise”.
“Alex Scharfman tries to woo audiences with a deluge of Jurassic Park references, but cheeky nods to beloved franchises shouldn’t overshadow your original concept,” the review read. “Aside from primarily stationary glimpses, there’s too heavy a reliance on iffy visual effects that fall short of bringing Scharfman’s horned beasts to life. It’s a ridiculous horror-comedy that’s light on horror and inconsistently humorous, worth a few eat-the-rich laughs but not much else.”
