Having enjoyed spells in the Quantum Realm and at Nevermore Academy respectively in recent years, it would be fair to say that Paul Rudd and Jenna O
Having enjoyed spells in the Quantum Realm and at Nevermore Academy respectively in recent years, it would be fair to say that Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega are no strangers to weird shit at this point. Even so, both must’ve had their eyebrows raised when the script for Death Of A Unicorn, writer-director Alex Scharfman’s murky modern A24 comedy, was sent their way. Starring opposite Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant, the movie sees Rudd and Ortega play middle-class father-daughter duo Elliot and Riley, who accidentally kill a unicorn and find themselves subject to the vengeful rage of said magical mammal’s mother. If it sounds a bit nuts, then it looks even more cuckoo. Check out the trailer below:
Concerned vape hits. Ominous drone shots over azurite lakes. Jenna Ortega declaring “It’s a fucking unicorn” as Riley, her father, and his billionaire boss’ family stand over the corpse of their rarified roadkill. Yeah, colour is unsurprised that this movie has been advertised as being “From the studio that brought you Everything Everywhere All At Once” rather than the one who brought us The Iron Claw. This. Looks. Barmy! On the one hand, we’re getting a very on trend “Eat the rich” joint in which a bunch of wealthy folks fuck around (with the potential healing properties of a dead unicorn) and find out (why exploiting animals for capitalistic gains is actually not great); and on the other, we’re getting what can only be described as a full-on unicorn revenge thriller, complete with sharp-toothed momma unicorn goring the elite like it’s nobody’s business. What more could you want from a film?
Well, an official synopsis would probably be handy. Here it is: “A father (Rudd) and daughter (Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.” The darkly comedic trailer shows the gruesome hit and run that kills the unicorn and the lengths Elliot and Riley go to hide their crime. Eventually, they realize that the unicorn’s blood and shavings from its horn can cure cancer.”
Not only does Scharfman’s film have a killer hook and a banging ensemble, but on scoring duties is none other than master of horror John Carpenter, who’s composed the movie alongside son Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. We’ll find out if Death Of A Unicorn is a sporadic genre gem or if Scharfman’s high concept horror comedy is just a lame horse with a glittery traffic cone strapped to its head when the movie releases in cinemas in Spring 2025.
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