Death of a Unicorn

Lore & Background

The film follows lawyer Elliot Kintner and his teenage daughter Ridley, who accidentally strike and injure a unicorn while traveling to the estate of Elliot's billionaire boss, Odell Leopold. After the unicorn's blood heals Ridley's acne and Elliot's allergies, the Leopolds exploit the creature's regenerative properties, leading to violent encounters with adult unicorns. The plot includes themes of corporate greed and mythological consequences, culminating in the unicorns reviving Elliot and their foal before attacking a police car carrying the Kintners.

Reader's Guide

Death of a Unicorn represents Alex Scharfman's feature directorial debut and was produced during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike under a waiver granted to A24. The film's score was initially announced to be composed by John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies, but later credits Dan Romer and Giosuè Greco. Its box office performance was deemed 'a misfire' a year after release. Critical reception was mixed, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 52% and a Metacritic score of 51, though Jenna Ortega's performance was singled out for praise. The film's satirical elements were noted as unconvincing by some reviewers.

Did You Know?

• The film's official trailer, released on December 18, 2024, contained a rendition of 'Good Vibrations' by The Beach Boys.
• Musician St. Vincent recorded the soundtrack song 'DOA' for the film.
• Filming began in Hungary in early 2024.
• The film is scheduled to stream on HBO Max after its theatrical run.

Story & Premise

Set in the Canadian Rockies, the film follows lawyer Elliot Kintner and his teenage daughter Ridley as they drive to the weekend estate of Elliot's boss, Odell Leopold. Along the way, Elliot's car strikes a small unicorn. When Ridley touches its horn, she is flooded with cosmic visions, but Elliot ends the experience by bludgeoning the creature with a tire iron. They arrive at the estate with the body hidden in the car, only to discover the unicorn's blood has cleared Ridley's acne and cured Elliot's allergies. The family's assistant finds the still-alive animal and shoots it. Learning of its regenerative powers, Odell has scientists grate the horn and inject it, curing his cancer, then plans to monetize the healing properties. Ridley, citing the Unicorn Tapestries, protests their exploitation but is dismissed. A larger adult unicorn arrives, kills the lead scientist and guards, yet grows passive toward Ridley. The confrontation escalates through the woods and estate, ending with the parent unicorns reviving Elliot and their foal. The family is arrested by police who cannot believe their story, and in a final act of defiance, the unicorns ram the police car off a lakeside road.

Cast & Creative Team

Death of a Unicorn marks the directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, who also wrote the screenplay. The two leads are Paul Rudd as Elliot Kintner and Jenna Ortega as his daughter Ridley, a pairing that anchors the film's central father-daughter dynamic. The supporting ensemble includes Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant in key roles alongside the Leopold family and their staff. Kathryn Erbe contributes a brief voice cameo as the narrator of the tapestry video that recurs throughout the story. The project was first announced in May 2023 with Rudd and Ortega attached, and by November of that year the cast had expanded to include Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, Jessica Hynes, and Steve Park. The film blends dark fantasy, comedy, and horror, positioning itself as a genre hybrid that leans on both its star power and its mythological premise to draw audiences into a story about exploitation, parental love, and the consequences of treating a magical creature as a resource.

Production & Music

Principal photography began in July 2023 on location in Hungary. The production secured a waiver allowing it to continue filming during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, a provision made possible because A24, the film's studio, is not a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The musical score underwent a notable change: in November 2023, John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies were announced as composers, but by February 2025, Dan Romer and Giosuè Greco had taken over the duties. The official trailer, released on December 18, 2024, featured a rendition of The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations." For the theatrical release, musician St. Vincent contributed the soundtrack song "DOA," which dropped on March 28, 2025, the same day the film hit North American cinemas. The combination of a shifting score team and a high-profile soundtrack single gave the film a distinctive sonic identity across its marketing and release cycle.

Release & Reception

Death of a Unicorn had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 8, 2025, before opening in North American theaters through A24 on March 28, 2025. The film was released alongside A Working Man, The Penguin Lessons, and The Woman in the Yard, and was projected to gross between seven and eight million dollars from its 3,050-screen opening weekend. It earned an estimated 700,000 dollars from Thursday night previews and pulled in 2.7 million dollars on its first day of exhibition. Critically, the film received mixed reviews, with its tonal blend of dark fantasy, comedy, and horror drawing both praise and criticism. Following its theatrical run, the film became available for streaming on HBO Max beginning July 25, 2025, extending its reach to a broader home-viewing audience. As a directorial debut from Alex Scharfman, the film's reception set early expectations for his future work in the genre space.

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