Death of a Unicorn (2025) * *

 

Directed by:  Alex Scharfman

Starring:  Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Richard E. Grant, Tea Leoni, Anthony Carrigan, Will Poulter

The act of writing a review for Death of a Unicorn presents a challenge for me.  I saw it upon its April release and haven't gotten around to reviewing it until now.  I confess I don't recall much about it, so I'll attempt to pull the details from my hazy memory.  

Attorney Elliot Kintner (Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Ortega) are traveling in the Rockies to the estate of his client Odell Leopold (Grant), who has stage four cancer.   Elliot is putting together the plan to become legal liaison to the pharmaceutical company Odell runs.  On the way, however, Elliot accidentally runs over a unicorn with his car, and stuffs the dead unicorn in his trunk.  Ridley thinks the majestic creature should receive a proper burial.  Elliot just wants to get the paperwork signed so he can officially land Odell as a client.  

However, the unicorn is not dead and tries in vain to escape Elliot's car.  This is met not with kindness nor wonder, but I believe the poor thing is bashed in the head.  Odell's family discovers the unicorn and learns its blood has magical powers which cure Odell of his cancer.  Odell sees the gazillions that could be made from this potion.  Ridley strenuously objects while Elliot is caught in the middle: wanting to do the right thing while still maintaining Odell as a client.  The unicorn's parents arrive at the scene to take their deceased offspring back with them, and are none too happy with Odell's family. 

That's about what I can remember, with assistance from rogerebert.com on the plot mechanics.  Death of a Unicorn is a dark comedy with fancy action scenes and the amoral, greedy Leopold family getting their comeuppance.  This a solid crew of comic actors who do their best, but the material is all over the map tonally.  It wants to be a comedy, supernatural fantasy, and actioner all in one.  These elements can surely be put together in one movie and flow naturally.  However, Death of a Unicorn isn't that movie.  I watched it with apathy and soon after it was forgotten.