To reach the lowest of lows by horror standards, one must first be able to bring an audience to the highest of highs. Those within the genre who can masterfully command both horror and comedy in a single film have achieved something truly special. Over the past few years, horror fans have seen a rise in horror satire and horror comedy that seems to suggest the industry is finally catching on.
It’s notDeath of a Unicorndistributor A24’s first rodeo when it comes to this sub-genre, having released the successful horror comedyBodies Bodies Bodiesthree years ago. Producer and lead actress Jenna Ortega is no stranger to this flavor of spooky story either, as her previous films likeBeetlejuiceandXhave been as funny as they were disturbing. Paul Rudd also has his own pedigree in this niche film category, having become part of the supernatural crime-stoppingworld of theGhostbustersin 2021. Backed by a powerhouse team known for blending laughter and terror,Death of a Unicornis leading the charge in 2025 with some pretty high audience expectations.
Horror Comedy Is the Perfect Reversal Recipe
WhetherDeath of a Unicornwill be more horror or comedy hardly matters, because the formula works so effortlessly. Perhaps its efficacy lies in the ways in which a movie likeDeath of a Unicorn, despite its self-explanatory title and trailer, can still shock its viewers. The gratification comes in the form of a punchline, yes, but is quickly overshadowed by something shockingly horrific. In a horror comedy, it is not so much a subversion of expectation, but an immediate reversal that leaves one affected long after the film has ended. Both terror and hilarity rely on this reversal of expectations, and what better way to up the stakes with one than to use the other?
One of the film’s stars, Will Poulter, demonstrated his ability to play the singular role of horror-comic previously with A24’sMidsummer, acting as the punchline for those subverted expectations, so he’s sure to bring this talent to a new level with a script tailor-made to be as gore-filled as it is satirical. When Poulter is on the screen, before the movie even begins, audiences are already prepared to laugh because of what they know of his previous work. The kind of comedic timing and physical comedy viewers have all seen from Poulter in his performances leaves them with the automatic expectation thatsomething funny this way comes.
Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega Fight to Survive Vengeful Unicorns in New Trailer for A24’s ‘Death of a Unicorn’
If anyone was going to be terrorized by vicious unicorns it’d clearly be these two, am I right?
‘Death of a Unicorn’ Has Clear Themes
Death of a Unicorncould be an all-time great of the genre because of its commitment to its messaging. From the two trailers released, we see the plot details begin to emerge. Ridley (Jenna Ortega) and her father (Paul Rudd) are visiting a wealthy pharmaceutical family who have donated a massive plot of untouched wilderness as a nature preserve. When it is discovered that unicorns live on the land (and can be used to cure any ailment), the “preserving nature” aspect becomes less of a concern to the money-hungry Leopold family. The twist, of course, is that while the Leopolds are hunting the unicorns, the unicorns are hunting them right back.
Previous films likeGet Outworked because they had something to say within the larger story they were telling. Equal time and attention was being given to what was going on internally for the characters and in the larger thematic world, as it was to the imminent threat on screen.Death of a Unicorncomes for the samearrogant one-percentersas movies likeThe MenuandParasite, and makes fun of them first. Like any interesting killer, this film plays with its food, and it’s pretty clear what its diet is. If any horror comedy is to hope for success, this is the secret sauce of the sub-genre.
The Menu: Every Death, Ranked
It’s been almost a year since Mark Mylod gave the gastronomy snobs a middle finger with The Menu. Let’s rank the deaths in the film.
The Film Is Self-Aware of Its Ridiculous Nature
to create a movie that effectively does double-duty in making its audience smile and grimace, it can’t take itself seriously. No one involved in the production of a unicorn horror movie should consider themselves above anything, nor should the film itself. This is not to say that they shouldn’t take the threat of the story seriously. A man-eating unicorn should be ridiculous, and while the film should be aware of this, the characters must not be, based on the trailers. This film could easilyfail where many others haveby satirizing its monsters, but it likely won’t.
If the idea of a ridiculous attempt at campy cult classic horror conjures images ofSharknado, it should.Death of a Unicornseems ready to rise to the occasion when it comes to a sincere portrayal of the monster, because those creatures are truly grotesque from what we’ve seen in the trailers. It points the comedy in every other direction, which in this rare instance, can allow both to shine. What it hopes to do is present the absurdist as sincere (like a monstrous-looking, murderous unicorn), and the sincere as absurdist (self-involved billionaire philanthropists). Satirizing what is real and genuinely presenting what is otherworldly, will allow the story to make its commentary without sacrificing the scare-factor and be a horror comedy for the ages.
Death of a Unicorn
