A24’s next film is here and it’s about unicorns… but not the rainbow magic kind of unicorns, no no, these unicorns are the cancer-curing, human-killing kind.
I see A24 on a film trailer and I know it’s going to be a good film, this production company is on a role of banger after banger and Death of a Unicorn is no different. This film follows a father and daughter who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn with their car on their way to a weekend retreat to stay with a family of billionaires who seek to exploit the unicorn’s magical healing ability, much to their own peril.
These unicorns are up to some dark shit I tell you, but the unicorns are not the villains here, you guessed it, it’s the humans. Humans discover a mythical creature is real and the first thing they do is try to exploit it for their own gain. Is anyone surprised…? Calling out the pharmaceutical industry big time, this rich family decided to harvest the unicorn for all it’s worth to try and cure illnesses of ‘people like them’, aka the super-rich. Using such an elaborate subject matter to highlight the flaws of the super-rich just served to make the moral of this story even more impactful and a good reminder to leave some things the hell alone. There was a certain sense of irony that the ‘victims’ of this story were the ones to cause their own demise, but that’s no different to the real world either.
The comedy behind this pretty intense part of the narrative is spectacular, a particular favourite line of mine being a character stating ‘this isn’t the best use of time’ whilst carrying a grandfather clock to block a doorway, excellent double meaning and a great example of the very silly humour in this film. I enjoy it when a film can balance a dark subject with jokes that just hit right. Will Poulter nailed this, his line delivery and acting, in general, was hilarious, he was perfect for the role of the rich kid with a big ego. Richard E. Grant was also spectacular and completely owned every scene he was in, he will always give 150% in every role and totally captivates the audience.
A24 films are so incredibly good at being very perceptive. Jenna Ortega’s character is the only one talking any sense in this film and represents logical, calm thinking, as well as the only one who shows the emotional maturity to have a sense of right and wrong. The fact her character is the youngest of the group and this is also a reason she is not listened to, just shows again the observations made in this film about humanity and the direction we’re heading in. This especially made this film stand out for me, it was funny and over-the-top ridiculous, but it wasn’t a far-fetched concept. Rich human sees something they want and will stop at nothing to get it, Icarus-style narrative ensues, hubris equals downfall, etc, etc. You can apply this narrative to so many situations… global warming and politics to name a few…
This film had a simple setting, a gorgeous house in an isolated setting, a small cast of amazing actors, and a concept that sounds crazy but works brilliantly. When I told people I was seeing a film about a unicorn they looked at me confused and I suppose that adds to the allure of this film. It’s refreshing to watch a film with a narrative that goes all over the place and keeps you guessing, Death of a Unicorn is filled with creativity. So many plots are becoming familiar and overdone now, this feels more reminiscent of the 90s-early 00s films that existed in a realm of the weird but brilliant. More films like this one please!
