Death of a Unicorn

Death of a Unicorn operates on a level of “it’s fine”, without landing any knock-out blows.



...[Death of a Unicorn] is the good-taste version of an innately bad-taste idea.

This is sadly unsuccessful as both an eat-the-rich satire and a schlocky B-movie.

Ortega, as Elliot’s disaffected daughter Ridley, seems to have wandered on to the set from a different and far more subtle movie about grief and adolescence and she hasn’t yet received the memo that this film, instead, is appalling.

Death of a Unicorn offers a light menu of macabre pleasures — sometimes too obvious, occasionally a touch too mystical to be entirely palatable. But the gougings are delivered expertly.  

Here is a B-movie throwback with its roots in the pulpy creature features of the 1950s. Viewed from this perspective, the shonky special effects are just part of the fun.

Its approach is as superficial as its form. [Full review in Spanish]

Director Alex Scharfman turns the mythical figure of the unicorn into that of an unstoppable and dangerous killer beast. But also, in a well posed metaphor about opulence, late capitalism and even the pharmaceutical industry. [Full Review in Spanish]

Judging by its outlandish subject matter, I expected writer/director Alex Scharfman's absurdist A24 feature to be - at the very least - an intriguing fantasy/satire. Instead, it's astoundingly awful!

To me, it's Leoni who steals the show... A fun, enjoyable ride.