Death of a Unicorn Reviews Lead to Adverse Rotten Tomatoes Score for Paul Rudd Movie

Following early buzz, Death of a Unicorn has received mixed reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. The film marks the directorial debut of Alex Scharfman and stars Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who accidentally hit a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat. As the movie hits theaters, critics highlight its unusual blend of horror and comedy, eccentric characters, and unpredictable tone.

Critics aren’t happy with Death of a Unicorn in their reviews

Although Death of a Unicorn has sparked conversation with its bold premise and A24 backing, critics have expressed mixed-to-negative reactions overall.

According to Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon, while the film is “delightfully insane” and boasts “excellent performances,” it “fails to reach its full potential” and often feels “visually dull” or “predictable.” Sim rated the film 6/10, describing it as “a run-of-the-mill experience.”

Other critics echo similar sentiments. Robert Denerstein wrote that the movie “ultimately sheds its horror aspirations and turns uni-corny,” while Russ Simmons called it “a strange mishmash of genres that never quite gels.” Lisa Laman criticized the film’s missed potential, writing, “If only Death of a Unicorn’s better, bleaker elements didn’t suggest a superior feature lurking in the shadows like a vengeful, bloodthirsty unicorn.”

Ty Burr wrote on The Washington Post, “Sadly, this one gets chalked up as a near myth.” While some, like Christopher Lloyd and Peter Gray, appreciated the movie’s genre blending, others felt it lacked narrative cohesion or sufficient satire.

Death of a Unicorn gets unsatisfactory Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic scores

The film holds a 57% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 104 critic reviews. On Metacritic, it has a score of 55 out of 100 based on 29 reviews. Alex Scharfman wrote and directed the film, while A24 distributed it and Ley Line Entertainment, Square Peg, and Secret Engine produced it.

Death of a Unicorn premiered in theaters on March 28, 2025. The R-rated film stars Paul Rudd, who plays Elliot, while Jenna Ortega portrays his daughter Ridley, who accidentally hits and kills a unicorn while traveling to a weekend retreat. The plot follows their encounter with a billionaire, played by Richard E. Grant, who seeks to exploit the unicorn’s miraculous powers.

Source: Comingsoon.net