MOVIE REVIEW: DEATH OF A UNICORN

 

When a man and his daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn with their car, his boss tries to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties -- with horrific results.

Director: Alex Scharfman

Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani

Release Date: March 28, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use.

Runtime: 1h 48m

Review:

Death of a Unicorn works best as a cartoonish black comedy thanks to its collection of talent, led by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, but it struggles to merge the satirical and horror elements which keeps it from being something special.  Alex Scharfman's freshman film has a quirky, energetic vibe that comes through the screen especially during some of the film's more outlandish sequences.  The straightforward narrative works in the film's favor with it, wasting very little time before moving into the meat of the story.  Some judicious edits would have helped streamline some of the clunkier moments that sap the film of some of its energy.  The parts that work is goofy, gory fun like its Aliens riff that proves to be one of the film's high points.  Scharfman would have been wise to lean into that sort of nuttiness rather than bluntly hammer home tired takes on the entitled elite and pharma exploitation of nature.  The father/daughter storyline is basic as well, but it’s salvaged by Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega likable turns.  Rudd could play this sort of character in his sleep while Ortega is fully embracing her role as this generations Winona Ryder as the smart, quirky but emotional distressed daughter.  Richard E. Grant and Téa Leoni are fun as the obscenely wealthy couple that Rudd's character aspires to work for, it’s just a shame that the script doesn't give them a ton to work with outside the most clichéd traits.  Will Poulter fares far better as the couple's overly entitled son that gets more and more intense as the effects of unicorn's dust take hold.  Poulter's comedic timing is perfectly suited to the role and he's clearly having a ball onscreen as he's bursting with energy especially in the final act.  Anthony Carrigan and Sunita Mani are both solid comedic performers, but they're mostly wasted in underserved roles, which is a shame to say the least.  It’s one of the elements in Death of a Unicorn that feel undercooked or unfinished much like the shoddy CGI that brings the magically vicious creatures to life which keeps it from really hitting the sweet spot.    

 

C+

Cindy Prascik's Review of Bill & Ted Face the Music

Dearest reader(s), yesterday marked the day I knew would arrive: I had the choice of seeing a brand new release at the cinema, or paying more to watch it at home. I thought it would be a hard call, but ultimately it was pretty easy to choose staying home. I'll be interested to see if it remains so once the health threat is removed. If you were presented with the same choice, I'd be curious to hear what you decided and why.

At any rate, on the docket this weekend was the long-awaited three-quel Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

Bill S. Preston and Ted "Theodore" Logan still struggle to fulfill the prophecy that said their music one day would save the world.

Face the Music finds our middle-aged heroes with wives, children, and suspiciously nice homes for guys who don't appear to do anything besides jam in their garages. Alas, they are yet to fulfill or move on from the long-ago prophecy that a song they've written will somehow unite and save the world. When a messenger from the future informs them that they have less than a day before time and space are destroyed, the most excellent friends embark on more time travels in the hope that their future selves have the song.

At a certain age, most things come with a whiff of nostalgia. Face the Music works not necessarily because it's the epitome of stellar filmmaking, but because it gives us characters we love in a story we need right now. The movie is sweet enough that its predictably dopey plot is easy to forgive, and — while there are some faces fans will be happy to see among supporting players — it is markedly less entertaining when Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are absent from the screen. The big finish offers few surprises, but the movie's optimism is such a delightful light in this dark year that it hardly matters.

Bill & Ted Face the Music clocks in at a quick 88 minutes and is rated PG13 for some language.

Bill & Ted Face the Music isn't a movie that'll change the world, but I can't help thinking we'd be better off if it could. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Bill & Ted Face the Music gets seven and a half.

Until next time, friends, be excellent to each other.