A24’s new movie Dying of a Unicorn, the characteristic directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, was launched in theaters on March twenty eighth, 2025. Following a father and daughter who by chance find yourself in battle with a household of unicorns, it stars Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, Anthony Carrigan, and extra.
Like most horror comedies of our time,
Dying of a Unicorn is greater than only a (genuinely type of horrifying) romp, however a considerably layered social commentary. So, what is the “level” of Dying of a Unicorn‘s semi-ambiguous ending? And the way does the ending tie into the movie’s normal explorations of wealth and the exploitation of nature?
Dying of a Unicorn
3
/5
- Launch Date
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March 28, 2025
- Director
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Alex Scharfman
- Writers
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Alex Scharfman
What Occurs in ‘Dying of a Unicorn’?
Elliot Kitner (Rudd) is a lawyer who has been working for Odell Leopald (Grant), a millionaire bigwig, for a number of years. Mr. Leopald has been recognized with terminal most cancers and is consequently searching for somebody to take over his enterprise. Hopeful that he can be Mr. Leopald’s choose, Elliot, and his college-aged daughter, Ridley (Ortega), take a street journey to the Leopalds’ distant residence on a nature reserve for a weekend summit. Within the automobile, Ridley expresses her discontent at having to take the journey, however Elliot assures her that it can be crucial for them to safe their monetary futures. Elliot’s spouse and Ridley’s mom lately handed away, leaving the connection between them distressed. The 2 bicker however are out of the blue interrupted when Eliott by chance hits a unicorn along with his automobile.
Startled and confused, the Kitners determine to place the creature out of its distress and put it of their automobile. Nevertheless, this isn’t earlier than Ridley manages to the touch the unicorn’s horn. When she does so, she has a trance-like imaginative and prescient and types a soul bond with the animal, which they now imagine to be lifeless. The Kitners make it to the Leopalds’ exorbitant residence with the unicorn secretly in tow, the place they meet Odell’s son,
Shepherd (Poulter) and spouse (Leoni).
Earlier than lengthy, they uncover that the unicorn shouldn’t be, in reality, lifeless. The Leopalds shoot and seize the unicorn and rent scientists to start finding out the creature. Quickly, they uncover that unicorn horn mud has therapeutic properties and may even remedy most cancers. As soon as Odell is cured, the Leopalds determine that they are going to seize this profitable enterprise enterprise and promote the remaining finite unicorn mud to the best bidder. Ridley, having finished a number of analysis on tapestries and folklore since arriving, warns towards messing with the unicorns and going towards nature, however goes ignored, together with by her personal father.
The Prophecy Foretold
Earlier than lengthy, after all, it seems that Ridley was decidedly appropriate. Seems the unicorn that the Leopalds have of their possession is a child, and the mother and father (bigger, grayer, and rather more terrifying) quickly present up on the home able to take revenge. One after the other, the unicorns slaughter every of the Leopalds and their workers. On the remaining hour, Shepherd broadcasts to the group that he has found (whereas excessive on unicorn mud) that unicorns’ solely weak spot is a “honest maiden.” Shepherd means that they sacrifice Ridley, for he’s nonetheless decided to seize unicorns for breeding. That is Elliott’s remaining straw. He lastly quits his job and runs off with the coveted child unicorn horn, main the unicorns away lengthy sufficient for Ridley to flee to the automobile. She is stopped earlier than she will be able to get to security by Shepherd, who makes use of her to lure the unicorns.
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Shepherd’s plan works, and the unicorns lie at Ridley’s toes. Elliott returns and promptly stabs Shepherd with the unicorn horn to guard Ridley, who then promptly stabs him again. Each males lay on the verge of demise earlier than
Shepherd is stomped to demise by the unicorn.
As Ridley weeps over her father’s bleeding physique, he tells her to inform him what she noticed when she touched the unicorn’s horn earlier.
Denied the chance a number of occasions to speak about her expertise with the unicorn, Elliot offers his daughter this remaining likelihood to attach with him. Ridley describes seeing a kind of heaven as Elliot slowly fades away. Then, the unicorns, seeing a crying Ridley, faucet their horns collectively and magically resurrect Elliot and the unicorn child. The unicorns run off into the sundown and Elliot and Ridley tearfully reunite. Then, the police arrive.
How Does ‘Dying of a Unicorn Finish’?
Elliott and Ridley, now within the precarious scenario of being surrounded by a few dozen lifeless our bodies and having in charge them on unicorns, are loaded right into a cop automobile. They’ve a brand new optimistic outlook on life, although, funnily sufficient. They smile at one another, and Elliott lets Ridley know that he noticed it too. The cop within the entrance seat remarks to dispatch that they are going to seemingly not imagine the survivors’ tales, and mere moments later, she notices one thing unusual outdoors the window. The three unicorns are operating alongside the aspect of the street. The unicorns run as much as the cop’s automobile lengthy sufficient to present Ridley and Elliot a understanding look. Elliott and Ridley buckle up and canopy their heads, conscious of what the unicorns are more likely to do. Certain sufficient, the unicorns then barrel the automobile off the street because the display screen fades to black.
Ending Defined: Did Riley and Elliot Die?
It’s clear, so far as the unicorns pushing the automobile off the street goes, that the unicorns have been attempting to assist Ridley and Elliot. The unicorns really feel bonded to Ridley, their “Truthful Maiden,” because the prophecy foretold, and thus wish to shield her from her captors. In truth, director Alex Scharfman lately confirmed this a part of the puzzle himself, saying, “They’re type of like, ‘Yeah, okay, nice. You are being held captive, we’ll smash the automobile and see what occurs, however definitely not understanding the social implications or the mechanical.'”
Dying of a Unicorn as a complete performs rather a lot with this concept of nature trumping social/technological conventions. As laborious as people might attempt to benefit from nature for their very own egocentric causes, for greed, fame, and even medical analysis, it’s a pressure extra highly effective and that may at all times triumph. Like Mickey 17, The Menu, Prepared or Not, and different wealth-centric horror comedies that got here earlier than it, it has a central metaphor (on this case, unicorns) for finite useful sources and the acute lengths individuals will go to safe them. Till they’re murdered themselves, the Leopalds will cease at nothing to seize the unicorns regardless of the fixed menace to everybody’s lives. Nicely, as it’s written, so it shall be, and solely the Truthful Maiden (and the one she loves, her father) will make it by. We can’t battle nature.
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The ending of Dying of a Unicorn ties the movie’s themes collectively properly with a bit bow. At its core, Dying of a Unicorn is a story of a father-daughter bond, and it reminds us how nurturing household relationships must be a precedence over profession. We get to see how, when Ridley and Elliot really pay attention to one another, they’re rewarded. Moreover, the ending confirms that there have been clear good guys and dangerous guys on this story, and people who prioritize dwelling issues over cash can be spared (and saved from cop automobiles).
Lastly, Scarfman in all probability simply thought it could be enjoyable to see some unicorns go berserk. Whereas we have no idea precisely what’s going to turn out to be of Riley and Elliot as they descend from a cliff in a cop automobile, we will assume that with the unicorns watching over them, they could simply be alright.
Dying of a Unicorn is in theaters in all places now.