Commentary: ‘Death Of A Unicorn’ Is A True Genre Mashup
by Frank Martin
Horror and comedy are both very flexible genres. They can get paired very easily with other types of movies. Because of this, they also go together very well. That said, Death Of A Unicorn takes things a step further by throwing other elements into the mix. It also dives headfirst into fantasy while also being a poignant social commentary regarding the healthcare industry. All of these things are combined in an interesting way.
The movie starts with Elliot (Paul Rudd) and Ridley (Jenna Ortega), a father-and-daughter duo who are headed into the Canadian wilderness to meet with Elliot’s rich employers. He has an opportunity to position himself for a very good job and wants his daughter to behave on the trip. Unfortunately, they hit a unicorn with their car on the way. When their hosts learn of the accident, the sick patriarch, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), uses the unicorn blood to heal his incurable illness. They then try to mass produce the blood to make a profit. As this takes place, the unicorn’s parents arrive and slaughter everyone at the house as revenge for killing their child.
As an art history major, Ridley began researching unicorns throughout history. What she discovered: the ancient tales of unicorns are far more accurate than modern science. The magical creatures are part of a fantastical tradition of slaughter that she believes is cyclical and happening again. This firmly places the film in the genre of fantasy, and yet it is still a horrific comedy. As the dark fairy tale plays out over the backdrop of an exploitative medical story involving rich people trying to get richer off a miracle cure, the film combines so many different elements together that it’s hard not to be impressed by the mashup.
Death Of A Unicorn is now streaming on HBO Max.
