Death Of A Unicorn Review
Since when did unicorns need a makeover? Whether they’re the elegant mythological creatures from the Middle Ages or the cutesy, colourful beings from children’s literature, they’re objects of love and inspiration. Not so in the world created by Alex Scharfman in Death Of A Unicorn. True, they have some remarkable powers, but these are unicorns like you’ve never seen them – and probably won’t want to again.
Hot shot lawyer (Paul Rudd) and his daughter, Ridley (Jenna Ortega) are heading through the mountains towards the palatial home of his wealthy employers, the Leopolds, when an animal jumps out in front of their car. It’s no run-of-the-mill beast, but a young unicorn, and it’s clearly dead. Elliott’s bright idea is to pack it into the back of the car, take it with them to their destination, and bury it somewhere on the family estate. But the animal comes back to life soon after they arrive, the Leopolds have it examined and realise it could be a massive money-spinner. Its miraculous healing powers could cure patriarch Odell Leopold’s (a suitably imperious Richard E Grant) terminal disease but, more importantly, could also swell the family coffers out of all recognition. There is, however, something nobody has considered. The unicorn’s parents …..
The schlocky title credits and their gesture towards the glory days of B-movies get the film off to a lively start, but don’t be fooled. This is no affectionate pastiche, but more of a mish-mash of ideas and genres that doesn’t really know what it is or where it’s heading. Its main aspiration appears to be an “eat the rich” satire, with the grotesque family totally absorbed in their own privileged lives and constantly on the lookout for ways to exploit others and make even more money. Yet, while this raises a knowing smile occasionally, it’s far too familiar and lacks the necessary bite to approach being remotely satirical. Death of a Unicorn does marginally better in its efforts to be a comedy, although the gags have a variable hit rate, and the majority of laughs come from specific characters.
Richard E Grant, unsurprisingly, is one of them as he plays to type with relish. Paul Rudd is another, back on his loveably goofy but embarrassing dad territory. So far, so familiar. But it’s Will Poulter who steals the show and milks every laugh he gets as the entitled, self-absorbed heir to the title. He’s easily the best thing in it.
The film also fancies itself as something of a horror, throwing in a couple of visual references to Alien as if to prove its point. Most of the gore in the latter sequences comes from the young unicorn’s parents, whose ornate, glowing horns are lethal weapons that they use without a second thought. They’re inevitably less than happy about their foal being abducted by humans – who’d have thought it? – and don’t think twice about taking their revenge. But, for all their vicious teeth and savage weaponry, the CGI leans more towards the unicorns so beloved of today’s children. Add this to the attempts at satire and comedy, and the result is a film with little sense of purpose.
Somewhere underneath the luxury, the CGI, and the gore is an imaginative film with a generous helping of humour and probably with something to say about the irresponsible rich. The sad thing about Death Of A Unicorn is that it’s all buried under layer upon layer of under-developed ideas that stand little or no chance of rising to the surface. It is, put simply, a near-myth.
★★ 1/2
In UK cinemas from April 4th / Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E Grant, Tea Leoni, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan / Dir: Alex Scharfman / Entertainment Film Distributors / 15
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