The firsttrailerforA24’sDeath of a Unicornis out. In typical A24 fashion, it looks trippy.
The trailer showsJenna Ortegaand Paul Rudd, playing daughter and father, hit a unicorn on the way to visit the mansion of a wealthy pharmaceutical family. As you would expect from a pharmaceutical family, they decide to test the stricken mystical entity. They discover breakthroughs—like the unicorn can cure cancer.
You hear Richard Grant’s billionaire character declare this is “An opportunity for greatness! For immortality!” That’s when the twist occurs. The unicorn they found? It seems like it’s the baby of a far more terrifying and ferocious adult that doesn’t care anything for rainbows and fun. Instead, it wants to murder everyone.
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A Dark Comedy With Jurassic Park Vibes
My first thought isJurassic Park. Based on the Michael Crichton novel, Spielberg’s classic film used the dinosaurs to caution about the overzealousness of capitalism-focused science. In the sense that if companies push to bring something to market before fully understanding it, things can go very wrong, very quickly.
Death of a Unicornreplaces the velociraptors and tyrannosaurus with a unicorn. We’ll see if that theory holds true once the movie comes out.
The project features a very diverse group. As mentioned,Jenna Ortegaand Paul Rudd star, which is already a collision of generations, with Rudd being a Gen X/Millennial darling and Jenna Ortega one of the leading Gen Z actors. That already bodes well for the picture’s box office hopes.
Death Of A Unicorn’s Star-Studded, Multi-generational Cast
On top of that,Death of a Unicornwas produced by A24 wunderkind Ari Aster. While his 2018 filmHereditarywasn’t the first mainstream success for the studio, it did feel like a tipping point, one that solidified the momentum started by the success ofMoonlightandLadybird. Aster’s not yet in the tier of a Christopher Nolan or Denis Villeneuve, but he’s getting there.
On the flip side, there is writer and director Alex Scharfman.Death of a Unicornmarks his feature debut. What a way to start!
The dark comedy also stars recognizable names like Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Téa Leoni (Jurassic Park III), and Anthony Carrigan (Barry). Rounding out the cast are Jessica Hynes (Shaun of the Dead), Sunita Mani (Glow), and Stephen Park (Asteroid City).
Death of a Unicorndoesn’t have an official release date yet but has a window ofSpring 2025.
A Bright Future For Crazy Movies
I’m always excited for new A24 films. It feels like they, Neon, and Mubi are in a competition to release all these weird, cool, and thought-provoking films and we’re all better off for it.
In 2024, Neon gave usImmaculate,Longlegs,Cuckoo, andAnora.
And Mubi put out my favorite film of 2024:The Substance.
A24 releasedQueer,I Saw the TV Glow,Heretic, andMaXXXine.
It seems like 2025 will be another strong entry for one of cinema’s most important distributors.
Death of a Unicorn
