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‘Death of a Unicorn’ Review: Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd’s Anti-Rich Satire Is DOA

A24’s Death of a Unicorn has an inspired anti-rich premise and a likable Jenna Ortega–Paul Rudd pairing, but its satire feels familiar and its horror-comedy payoff is uneven.
Opened Runtime3 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
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Death of a Unicorn has a sharp hook: a billionaire pharmaceutical family wants to turn a mythical creature’s healing powers into a business. But although Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd give the film a likable center, its satire rarely cuts as deeply as its premise suggests. The result is a gory, intermittently amusing horror-comedy whose creature-feature chaos is more satisfying than its critique of the rich.

What is Death of a Unicorn about?

Written and directed by Alex Scharfman, A24’s 2025 horror-comedy follows Elliot (Paul Rudd) and his daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega), who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while driving to a weekend retreat. The creature’s remains appear to have extraordinary healing properties. Elliot’s billionaire employer, pharmaceutical magnate Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), sees an opportunity to exploit them. Will Poulter and Téa Leoni also star. A24’s film page describes the central setup.

Does the anti-rich satire work?

Only in fits and starts. The film makes its target unmistakable: a wealthy pharmaceutical family treats the unicorn’s apparent power to heal as a resource to control and monetize. That premise gives the story an immediate connection to corporate greed and the commodification of medicine. Yet the Leopolds’ entitled excess and appetite for profit are so plainly signposted that the satire has little room to surprise.

Adrian Horton’s SXSW review for The Guardian similarly finds the eat-the-rich territory familiar and the targets predictable, though it notes the film’s attempt to connect the fantasy setup to late-stage capitalism. The satire may land for viewers who enjoy seeing the powerful exposed to grotesque consequences; it is less likely to satisfy anyone looking for a fresh or especially incisive argument about wealth and the pharmaceutical industry.

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Do Ortega and Rudd make a convincing team?

They provide the film’s most accessible human thread. Elliot and Ridley’s father-daughter relationship gives the story something more personal than the billionaire family’s scheme, and their contrasting reactions to the unicorn help orient the audience amid the escalating spectacle. Rotten Tomatoes’ critics’ consensus also singles out their rapport as a source of “some sparkle.” That aggregate judgment is not universal praise, but it captures a point of agreement in several mixed responses: the leads have more warmth than the satire has bite.

How well does the horror-comedy deliver?

The film’s second half leans into bloody creature-feature mayhem. The unicorn is not simply a wondrous symbol to be protected; the story gives its mythic presence a violent edge, making gore and escalating danger central to the entertainment. The results can be enjoyably splattery, but the shift from social satire to monster chaos does not always feel seamless.

Robert Abele’s Los Angeles Times review sees promise in both the opening satire and the bloodthirsty-creature premise, while arguing that the later mayhem and invented lore weaken the payoff. Abele also praises Poulter’s comic performance and describes the effects as uneven. By contrast, ABC News’ review frames the film as raucous entertainment, even while registering disappointment. The divide is a useful guide: whether the gore feels like a payoff or a distraction depends on how much you want the film to prioritize creature-feature fun over a coherent satirical arc.

What did critics and audiences think?

Reception is mixed rather than unanimous. On October 7, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes displayed a 52% Tomatometer from 222 critic reviews and a 76% Popcornmeter from more than 1,000 verified ratings. Those are changing platform snapshots, not fixed measures of quality. Its critics’ consensus describes the satire as broad and the creature-feature side as entertainingly splattery, while the individual reviews range from weary of the familiar premise to more receptive to its rowdy energy. See Rotten Tomatoes’ current film page for the latest figures.

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Rank #3
Monster's Ball - BLURAY
  • Set in the Southern United States, 'Monster's Ball' is a tale of a racist white man, Hank (played by Billy Bob Thornton), who falls in love with a black woman named Leticia (Halle Berry). Ironically Hank is a prison guard working on Death Row who executed Leticia's husband (Sean Combs). Hank and Leticia's interracial affair leads to confusion and new ideas for the two unlikely lovers.

Is it worth watching?

Watch it if you like horror-comedies that mix gore, dark humor, and a blunt attack on the wealthy—and if Ortega and Rudd’s screen presence is enough to carry you through an uneven tonal shift. Skip it if you want a sharply developed critique of corporate power or a consistently effective blend of satire and horror. Death of a Unicorn has a promising premise and patches of gleeful grotesquerie, but its ideas are more familiar than its monster is.

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Who should know about the rating and availability?

The film is rated R for strong violent content, gore, language, and some drug use, according to the Los Angeles Times listing. It opened widely in North America on March 28, 2025. Streaming and rental options depend on location and can change: Rotten Tomatoes listed HBO Max and Fandango rental or purchase when accessed, but check the current listing and your local services before deciding where to watch.

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