*** Spoiler-Free ***

Death of a Unicorn (2025) --

A movie with a message-- environmental/conservation awareness --that goes over easy, not preachy. In my view this will usually get the message across more effectively, to a broader audience, including those who might otherwise not give much thought to such things.

A simple, uncomplicated story. Complexity is fine, but not every film project has to be a multifaceted, sometimes too-clever-for-its-own-good brain-buster. Such simplicity also reinforces the digestibility of the message, and can even make a story involving make-believe creatures/settings oddly more believable.

A diverse cast that does not feel forced-- Death of a Unicorn comprises a small yet effective cast comprising White, Hispanic, and Asian (with heritage represented from both the Northeast and South of the continent) actors who are all neatly and believably woven into the story; this again is much more relatable than when it feels the director is using a "paint-by-numbers" approach.

A runtime that comes in comfortably under two hours. Years ago, I espoused a personal belief that-- given a good story --a film could not be too long. I daresay at that moment I even wanted more long movies (at a time, in the 1980s and 1990s, when most movies seemed to run 90 to 100 minutes). Oh, how that wish morphed into a curse. When movies nowadays all seem to run 150 minutes to 180 or even more. I no longer consider a movie running past four hours to be fit for the classification of a standalone "film". Rather, those are single releases that should be a miniseries or, simply, multiple films instead of one lumbering behemoth.

Alex Scharfman, the director, has given us an effective, enjoyable work in the Horror-Comedy Death of a Unicorn (be forewarned there is a fair amount of graphic human gore-- likely the only reason for its "R" rating in the U.S.).

I continue to be impressed by the career trajectory of its young lead, Jenna Ortega, and if she continues to hone her craft and expand her range, it would appear there is an exciting, decades-long career in front of her (after already more than a decade of experience).

And the A24 production company deserves credit for continuing to put out a string of films in the classic formula, after the success of Civil War in 2024 and X in 2022 (the latter also another showcase of Ortega's skill and talent).

Death of a Unicorn (2025) --

I hope more people give this and other films like it a chance.