The trailer has been revealed for the new A24 movie Death of a Unicorn. The film is an upcoming dark comedy that tells the story of a father named Elliot and his daughter Riley, who accidentally hit a unicorn with their car. They then bring the slain magical creature into a rich CEO’s wilderness retreat, and chaos ensues. The movie was written and directed by first-time feature director Alex Scharfman.Death of a Unicorn‘s cast includes Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant, Sunita Mani, and Téa Leoni.
A24 has now released the trailer for Death of a Unicorn. The trailer begins with Elliot (Rudd) trying to convince Riley (Ortega) to put on a good face for the big pharma CEOs they are going to visit. Things take a turn when they hit a unicorn on their drive there, and have to take the roadkill in their mangled car. After the rich big pharma people discover the unicorn in Elliot’s car, they are determined to study the animal’s medicinal qualities. Their plans go awry, however, when the unicorn creature begins to take revenge on the team.
What This Trailer Means For Death Of A Unicorn
The Death of a Unicorn trailer is not subtle about its themes. While the film seems to stay in a largely comedic register, even this trailer suggests that the film is a satirical commentary on big pharma. This is best exemplified when a researcher discovers that the unicorn can cure cancer, and Poulter’s character responds jovially “cancer…that’s the biggest one!” While it could be in excitement over how many lives will be saved, it is implied that the character sees this as a financial opportunity.
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The trailer also sets up the comedic dynamic between Ortega’s Riley and the rest of the group. She will not put up with the rich people’s antics. When the pharmaceutical company executives are guessing, for example, that the creature could be “a horse like, Mammalia, with some sort of a protrusion or a growth,” Ortega responds “it’s a f*cking unicorn.” While the unicorn attack could humble the big pharma folks, this personality clash will at least be present at the beginning of the film, creating ample opportunities for humor.
Our Take On The Death Of A Unicorn Trailer
It Takes On Popular Themes
Coming right off of the release of Y2K, it is clear that A24 can produce some fun comedy horror romps. Death of a Unicorn looks to fit into this subgenre, but also fits into the wave of rich-person satire that has been popularized through projects like Knives Out or The White Lotus. If the feature film can be as funny as the trailer and include crisp social commentary, viewers could be in for a treat with Death of a Unicorn.
Source: A24