On March 20, I had the very fortunate opportunity to attend a preview screening of A24’s Death of a Unicorn. The movie was officially released on March 28 and has been given mixed reviews by both audiences and critics. Just in case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, here is my spoiler-free review of the film.
Although I am not the biggest fan of horror, I do appreciate movies in the Horror/Comedy category. While some horror films may have intense dark themes, combining them with Comedy makes them more enjoyable to watch. Done right, you have the perfect balance of anxiety and laughter. Personally, Death of a Unicorn understands the genre perfectly and takes advantage of the opposing genres.
On the comedy side, the script is very self-aware as it over-dramatizes specific actions to get a laugh from the audience. The writing is very intentional when using a cheap joke to distract from the intense plot. Additionally, the comedy comes from the irony in the film. Instead of having dramatic lines to be played seriously, it is written to be a part of the comedy. It makes the audience think there is no way this character really just did that, which adds to the effect. The writing chooses when it wants to be taken seriously or just to humor the audience.
However, horror elements are still used throughout the film, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Common tactics, such as jump scares and other classic horror tropes, make the movie unpredictable at times. The bouncing between the horrific and comedic elements instills a general fear, as you can not always predict whether the movie will have you laughing or in tears or rushing to cover your eyes.
The film’s cast also contributes to its genres as they portray their characters. Jenna Ortega and Will Poulter had done amazing work in the movie, even if it was repetitive of them. Ortega plays yet another character who is “odd” or “different” from the others, and Poulter plays an arrogant and dim-witted character. While these tropes were nothing new for the actors, they still did excellent work in their portrayals. On the other hand, it was interesting to see Paul Rudd take on a new character role in Death of a Unicorn.
Typically, Rudd is known in past works for playing heartthrob or heroic characters. He’s known for films like Clueless, in which he’s the main love interest, or Ant-Man, in which he’s an actual superhero. In Death of a Unicorn, however, he slightly distances himself from these tropes, taking on a new role. At the end of the movie, he falls back into his old habits, but it was entertaining to watch him experiment with an unfamiliar character.
Even with the lively script and solid acting, the movie still had some faults. The story’s pacing was the most difficult factor for me to keep up with. I constantly found myself confused about what time of day it was. After watching the film, I debriefed with my friend to fully understand the exact timeline of events. With no scenes showing sunrises, sunsets, or characters going to bed, it was hard to tell how long the story was supposed to be.
Moreover, the overall plot itself was fairly predictable. Even though certain scenes had me stressed, I fully expected the movie to land on a cheery note. While this isn’t a bad quality in a film, devastating endings can sometimes be more entertaining than positive ones.
Going into the film with no real idea of what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised. I would give them four out of five stars as I enjoyed it. Even though the film did not do anything revolutionary, it was still an entertaining production to watch. I am glad it had its official release and plan to see it again while it is in theaters.