Death of a Unicorn
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Short description
Elliot and his daughter Ridley accidentally kill a unicorn while traveling to a retreat owned by Elliot's wealthy employer. Upon discovering that the creature possesses medicinal properties capable of transforming healthcare, the billionaire seeks to exploit the animal for financial gain. However, the pursuit of profit triggers a dangerous conflict when the creature's parents arrive to seek revenge against the humans.
Directed and written by Alex Scharfman, this American comedy, fantasy, and horror film features a cast including Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, and Sunita Mani. The production was supported by A24, Square Peg, Ley Line Entertainment, and Secret Engine. With a budget of 15 million USD, the movie earned 16 million USD at the worldwide box office, representing a modest return on its investment.
Audience reception is mixed but generally positive, with a rating of 6.4/10 on TMDB and 5.8/10 on IMDb from 51,000 votes. Film critics provided a slightly lower assessment, with a rating of 5.7/10 based on 223 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- While studying at college, director and screenwriter Alex Sharfman worked part-time at the Parts Labor Films studio, where he met producer Lars Knudsen. Knudsen and Ari Aster (an American director and screenwriter) subsequently founded the production company Square Peg. Working at the studio, Sharfman observed Robert Eggers working on his horror film “The Witch” (2015) and finishing the screenplay for the horror film “Nosferatu” (2024). He was deeply impressed by what he saw and decided to make a film based on an original screenplay rooted in ancient legends about unicorns.
- Preparing for filming, Alex Sharfman thoroughly studied myths about unicorns, starting with ancient Roman historians and the Old Testament. He also studied depictions of unicorns on tapestries from the collection of the Met Cloisters in New York. These tapestries, by an unknown master who lived on the cusp of the 16th century, served as the basis for the film’s visual style. Jenna Ortega, who played Ridley, even called them a starting point for understanding the film. According to Sharfman, one shot’s mise-en-scène, in which Odell, played by Richard E. Grant, leads Elliott (played by Paul Rudd) and other characters into the wilderness during a unicorn hunt, replicates a scene from one of the tapestries.
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