Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega star in the latest genre-twister from A24 Films.
A great premise for a bubbly comic fantasy slowly yet steadily transforms into a dark and gory comedy in the feature directorial debut by producer Alex Scharfman.
The setup is immediately inviting: Paul Rudd stars alongside Jenna Ortega as Elliot and Ridley, an estranged father and daughter who endeavor to reconnect on a trip into a bucolic wilderness reserve. The sight of Rudd beaming and Ortega scowling makes for a perfectly enjoyable odd couple in appearance, even as we suspect that it’s also the start of a perfectly familiar narrative that will lead inevitably to reconciliation.
The purpose of the trip is for attorney Elliot (Rudd) to sign up a wealthy new client, Odell (Richard E. Grant), who lives in a spacious estate in the wilderness reserve with his wife Belinda (Téa Leoni) and their son Shephard (Will Poulter), attended to by the duteous Griff (Anthony Carrigan). Again, all in the talented supporting cast are more than capable of supplying the necessary comic sparks, and the early scenes add to the merriment, even after Elliot collides with a large animal that was crossing the road.
Approaching the injured animal, Ridley notices that a long horn that protrudes from its head has lit up in her presence. Gently touching the horn, Ridley has an out-of-body experience that is rudely interrupted by blood splattering on her face.
From this titular incident (details intentionally withheld) forward, the film begins its descent from a light comic fantasy into an uneven dramatic farce. Initially buoyed, as the supporting cast is introduced after Elliot and Ridley arrive at the estate, Death of a Unicorn is thereafter weighed down by surprising excursions into blood, gore, and extremes of reckless behavior by the supporting characters.
A further surprise comes courtesy of Paul Rudd, who in recent years has played a long string of likable characters who behave in a heroic manner. Thus, it’s disconcerting to see him disappear into a weaker personage as Elliot.
Manifesting an overeager desire to please Odell and his family, Elliot loses sight of the opportunity to win back his daughter’s affections. (The two suffered a rupture after the death of Elliot’s wife, and Ridley has remained distant since she began college.) The more that Elliot protests that everything he’s doing is meant to benefit Ridley, though, the more Ridley draws further away from him, threatening the future of their relationship.
Ridley becomes the sole voice advocating on behalf of the disadvantaged, protesting the short-sighted actions of the upper class, in this case, the wealthy and privileged Odell, Belinda, and Shephard. She asserts herself strongly, yet is reduced to a small voice crying in the wilderness.
As things develop, loyal household staff member Griff steps up for himself, as much as he can, while two doctors (Sunita Mani and Steve Park) and a security guard (Jessica Hynes) also figure into the plot. The show, though, keeps coming back to Elliot and Ridley, a father and a daughter who need to work things out between themselves, even as the world around them grows more chaotic.
Uneven and unsteady at times, Death of a Unicorn resembles nothing so much as a newborn animal, taking fragile steps into an uncertain future. Where it goes, nobody can say for sure, but it’s impossible to deny the warmth of its overweening ambition.
The film is now playing in select area theaters. For more information about the film, visit the official site.
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