The Premise That Could Have Been Legendary
A24’s Death of a Unicorn (2025) presents one of the most fascinating high-concept pitches in recent memory – what if a mundane father-daughter road trip collided with dark fantasy? Paul Rudd’s Elliot Kintner and Jenna Ortega’s Ridley accidentally kill a unicorn with their car, unleashing a chain reaction involving corporate greed (embodied by Will Poulter’s billionaire Peter Leopold), miraculous healing properties, and parental rage turned supernatural.
The first act shows promise with its Steven King-meets-Fables atmosphere. The Kintners aren’t your typical horror protagonists – Elliot’s a divorced dad trying to reconnect with his cynical teen daughter through forced bonding time. Their dynamic provides the film’s most authentic moments before the mythological elements take over.
Where the Film Stumbles
As noted in the IMDb review, the introduction of the Leopold family (a dynasty hunting mythical creatures for profit) shifts the tone from intimate fantasy-horror to a more conventional corporate conspiracy plot. The middle section drags with boardroom scenes that feel transplanted from a different movie.
However, three standout sequences redeem the uneven pacing:
- The initial unicorn death scene – a masterclass in practical effects blending with CGI
- Ridley’s hallucinatory vision sequence (Ortega’s best moment)
- The gory finale where the unicorn’s curse manifests literally
Performance Breakdown
| Actor | Role | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Rudd | Elliot Kintner | Surprisingly effective dramatic turn |
| Jenna Ortega | Ridley Kintner | Elevates mediocre material |
| Will Poulter | Peter Leopold | Wasted in a one-note villain role |
| Toni Collette | Dr. Eleanor Leopold | Given nothing to work with |
OTT Release Information
Mark your calendars for these platform releases:
| Platform | Release Date | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Prime Video | August 15, 2025 | Director’s commentary |
| Apple TV+ | August 22, 2025 | Behind-the-scenes featurette |
| Netflix | September 1, 2025 | None (basic release) |
| Hulu | August 30, 2025 | Alternate ending |
The Hidden Mythology Most Viewers Miss
What makes Death of a Unicorn fascinating upon closer inspection are the Celtic folklore references most reviews overlook:
- The silver blood = Celtic lore about unicorn purification
- The car’s license plate “ANNWN” references the Welsh Otherworld
- Ridley’s jacket patches contain occult symbols
Why It Deserves a Cult Following
Despite its flaws, the film’s final 20 minutes deliver on the promised weirdness. The much-discussed ending (which we won’t spoil) suggests director Alex Garland wanted to make an entirely different movie – one about the psychological toll of parental guilt manifesting as literal monsters. The corporate subplot feels like studio-mandated compromise.
Final Verdict: 6.5/10
Death of a Unicorn works better as a visual mood piece than a cohesive narrative. Stream it on Amazon Prime for the best experience, but temper expectations. The real unicorn here is the perfect dark fantasy film that could have been.