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Death of a Unicorn

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Death of a Unicorn
Teaser poster
Directed byAlex Scharfman
Written byAlex Scharfman
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLarry Fong
Edited byRon Dulin
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byA24
Release dates
  • March 8, 2025 (2025-3-8) (SXSW)
  • March 28, 2025 (2025-3-28) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Death of a Unicorn is a 2025 American comedy horror film written and directed by Alex Scharfman. It stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn, causing them to be hunted down by its parents. Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant appear in supporting roles.

Death of a Unicorn had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Festival on March 8, 2025, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by A24 on March 28, 2025.

Premise

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Elliot Kintner and his teenage daughter Ridley accidentally hit a unicorn while en route to a crisis management summit with Elliot's boss, Odell Leopold, and his family. The Leopolds seize the unicorn, and their scientists discover that the creature is endowed with supernaturally curative properties, which the Leopolds seek to exploit. However, as they delve deeper into their reseach, the unicorn's parents arrive and begin to slaughter one by one those involved in the exploitation of their dead foal.[1][2]

Cast

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Production

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Death of a Unicorn was announced in May 2023, with Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd set to star in the film for Alex Scharfman.[1] In November 2023, it was announced that Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, Jessica Hynes and Steve Park had joined the cast of the film.[3]

Filming began in Hungary in July 2023.[2] The production was granted a waiver to continue with its production during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, as A24 is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.[4]

Music

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In November 2023, it was announced that the score would be composed by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies.[5] However, in February 2025, Dan Romer and Giosuè Greco were revealed to have taken over composing duties.[6]

The official trailer, released on December 18, 2024, contained a rendition of "Good Vibrations" by American rock band the Beach Boys.[7]

Release

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Death of a Unicorn premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest on March 8, 2025, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 28, 2025.[8][9][10]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 62% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Receiving some sparkle from Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega's father-daughter rapport, Death of a Unicorn's broad satire is a bit too on the horn but makes for an entertainingly splattery creature feature."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Death of a Unicorne set to start shooting in Budapest in July". Budapest Reporter. May 15, 2023. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Rajput, Priyanca (July 21, 2023). "Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega's Death in Unicorn to film in Hungary". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Archived from the original on July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. ^ Grobar, Matt (November 1, 2023). "A24's 'Death Of A Unicorne' Adds Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani & More; Paul Rudd And Jenna Ortega Set To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  4. ^ Maddaus, Durban (July 18, 2023). "SAG-AFTRA Approves 39 Indie Projects to Shoot During Strike, Including Two A24 Films". Variety. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies Scoring Alex Scharfman's 'Death of a Unicorn'". Film Music Reporter. November 1, 2023. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  6. ^ filmmusicreporter (February 18, 2025). "Dan Romer & Giosuè Greco Scoring Alex Scharfman's 'Death of a Unicorn'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  7. ^ "Death of a Unicorn | Official Trailer HD | A24". YouTube. December 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  8. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (December 18, 2024). "Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd Capture a Mythical Creature in A24's 'Death of a Unicorn' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "Death of a Unicorn". A24 Publicity. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (January 22, 2025). "Seth Rogen Comedy Series 'The Studio' To Open SXSW 2025; 'The Accountant 2,' 'Death Of A Unicorn', 'Drop,' 'Happy Face' & More Also To Screen". Deadline. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  11. ^ "Death of a Unicorn". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  12. ^ "Death of a Unicorn". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
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