If the films “Jurassic Park” and “Nope” both vomited on the first draft of “Parasite,” the result would probably look a lot like A24’s “Death of a Unicorn.”
Alex Scharfman’s directorial debut stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter with a strained relationship who, on the way to a weekend business retreat at a remote opulent cabin, hit a unicorn with their car. Naturally, they have differing views on how to proceed, and the rest of the film explores the ramifications of their deadly collision.
I have yet to see a film this year that alternates so harshly between working and failing. I laughed at some lines and was thrilled by certain action sequences. Large stretches of characters talking in rooms felt like reheated leftovers from some of the films previously mentioned.
Similarly, the first and second acts were quite choppy. It didn’t always feel like each scene caused the next scene or brought substantial narrative change, and the structure suffered for it.
Not only that, there were also several questionable writing beats. At one point, an online video is used to provide exposition, and at another point, it’s revealed that cellphones aren’t reliable in a certain environment. But then, the characters enter said environment with cellphones as their only form of contact.
On the whole, I think all the film needed was another draft or two.
The technical elements were generally strong; I liked the score and the directing choices. I’m always a sucker for cool camera tricks with mirrors, and one moment here certainly scratched that itch.
When watching the film at Iowa City’s FilmScene, you may get déjà vu when the Cocteau Twins’ song “Cherry-coloured Funk” plays over the opening credits, heard mere minutes prior in the Bijou promo. Hearing that excellent song might be worth the price of admission alone.
I’m always apt to find Paul Rudd enjoyable, but I think the MVP here is Will Poulter. He knows how to play up this kind of entitled and naive character, and most of the times I laughed were thanks to his line deliveries.
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The third act showcased what this film could have been if it had lived up to its full potential. The horror elements reach their zenith at a particularly effective moment during the climax that wouldn’t have felt out of place in the films of Jordan Peele or Bong Joon-ho.
The third act also feels like something straight out of a “Jurassic Park” sequel, but I didn’t mind. After how much that franchise has been failing recently, it felt good to see a decently competent take on a similar story.
Although elements of the ending were predictable, I found it unexpectedly moving. Unfortunately, the final scene muddled the message for me. I mulled it over during the credits, but I couldn’t quite figure out what the movie was trying to say with its final twist.
For what tries to be the next gonzo horror-comedy classic, “Death of a Unicorn” is ultimately a very predictable affair. Still, there are decent thrills to be had even if we’ll never get to see the great film buried under another round or two of rewrites.