A24, the studio known for its blend of arthouse sensibilities with genre thrills has once more managed to capture public attention by releasing a new teaser of what many are calling one of their ‘oddest properties yet’: "Death of a Unicorn". This forthcoming feature film has grabbed interest, mostly for its unique premise: what if a ‘unicorn' that can perform literal healing miracle, were hit by a car with people, then what? The early trailer paints what will clearly become a dark and bizarre comedy with all kinds of implications ( both emotional and ethical); all of this means one will never be fully clear about any potential expectations or what the film could ( or could not) intend to represent once it comes out to public theaters, which is usually one of A24 studios main selling points for their content; so let us further dive down, with more analytical lens onto what could very well be another critical or public darling for the 2025 year.
The Unlikely Premise: A Unicorn's Untimely Demise and its Implications
At its core, 'Death of a Unicorn' presents what some might consider a very odd and extremely absurd concept from the very start as a premise. The trailer establishes it all in a very straightforward format. A father and daughter duo (Elliot and Riley) are travelling through rural areas, only for them to accidentally run over a mystical unicorn, killing it in a very brutal, graphic and visually memorable set piece. And its that initial concept alone that sets the tone of what's to follow: a clash of fantasy or magical elements with completely natural ordinary and realistic consequences.
What comes next further compounds the problems created from the core narrative, both individuals ( that accidentally became responsible for the unicorn demise) are then trying to cover-up what they've done before soon realizing what all the implications of what this magical animal offers once it gets hurt; specifically that, the animal’s blood or bits and pieces from its horn present a source of miracles as both appear capable of ‘curing cancer’, an element that immediately will lead viewers down the road that morality will take on far less important relevance for self gain that will further make this ‘black comedy’ even more absurd and also very unpredictable.
This unique blend of the whimsical ( a magical beast) with real world stakes and the consequences will make the moral compass start doing a balancing act; that deliberate combination that A24 seems so keen on exploring has very solid foundations from an almost simplistic approach that sets what is commonly regarded as ‘real' elements that often conflict with pure fairy-tale fantasy ones while forcing all main cast to act upon such circumstances; these concepts serve as an important base for its underlying story elements which create the opportunity to delve into ethics, morality and greed within such a simple approach where the fantastical exists along a grounded structure.
Character Dynamics: Rudd and Ortega Lead a Cast of Complex Individuals
"Death of a Unicorn" isn't only defined by a central peculiar plot element as it features an incredible cast mostly known for both comedic but also dramatic character acting. Paul Rudd plays a father ( Elliot ) while Jenna Ortega embodies a teenage daughter (Riley), their bond, at least on first glimpse as shown in teasers, appears less as simple characters of a core typical family drama but a far more deeply complex unit with ethical and moral dilemmas often being set against each other. Their approaches to ‘handling’ the aftermath of killing this ‘unicorn' highlight a central concept of each personality.
On the more extreme side of this power structure appears Richard E. Grant as an ambitious billionaire whose only interest on all ‘unicorn’ discoveries has more value in its commercial, financial exploitations which sets him as a main antagonistic influence where the main leads could likely act with ethical motivations at play but also creating a situation in which those characters must also decide on how morally sound are their individual choices (and as the trailer reveals, a complete lack of consideration for the mystical unicorn itself). This creates a compelling dynamic with the cast representing unique views that push conflict beyond traditional good-evil binaries as there always seems a gray area.
This dynamic exploration will be something that the director should pursue through an honest and objective point to fully emphasize, that even characters presented at first glace as clearly ‘good’ might often take steps towards much more morally-gray lines or positions adding further interesting takes over ethical value systems and human desires for greater and sometimes for very simplistic reasons.
Stylistic Choices: A24's Trademark Aesthetic With Dark Humor and Ari Aster's Touch
A24 productions always come with some visual stylistic approach and Death of a Unicorn seems set on keeping all of these standards that makes its own studio properties all become that much more identifiable. The inclusion of a ‘realistic depiction of violence’ along with sudden cuts or transitions provides very important emphasis to key parts of narrative elements while being both shocking and unsettling for the viewers in unexpected segments of this otherwise bizarre movie.
But adding onto all this stylistic choice comes the involvement of director Ari Aster as the film’s executive producer; that already seems very interesting. He seems to enjoy showing chaotic, complex human experiences blended alongside fantastical elements, or even deep set personal inner fears which creates the prospect to push those visual and character exploration far deeper, by offering very memorable and thought provoking scene presentation. The choice of iconic horror movie director John Carpenter ( with his son) as part of its score production shows there will be clear emphasis on underlying creepy tone that contrasts against an otherwise odd comedic story; This seems like another perfect A24 fit by design.
This combination suggests that what is going to unfold on screen will deliver a film that fully understands its tone with the absurd, and violent elements being a constant presence throughout, using humour to present a very difficult or complicated ethical scenario. Therefore if that does happen that then 'Death of a Unicorn’ could be A24 at its very best and all while blending diverse sets of audiences ( which normally avoid dark comedies or even 'high art’ approaches). Its a risk for everyone involved, which is something A24 seems keen on promoting with every release.
Broader Implications: Genre Bending and the Commodification of Magic
By pushing boundaries regarding its format it may easily be considered a very difficult and niche piece of cinema and what also adds value for it's high level of interest comes in how “Death of a Unicorn”, attempts blending a variety of different concepts. It's not just simply ‘comedy’ as it does make clear nods at thriller elements when main cast start working together to cover up what occurred to the mystical beast while always having very apparent moral questions that push more into ethical philosophical implications about all events .
This blending in a non-predictable or clear manner will be what will define "Death of a Unicorn” through and its clear, most impactful, underlying commentary might very well be the concept that no matter how magical or unique a fantastical event or being is, humans will ultimately always aim to commodify anything with a personal or material value showing that ethical frameworks can collapse under immense and extreme need. Which will open far greater discourse. These often uncomfortable insights might be what ultimately sets apart "Death of a Unicorn” from most run of the mill media content, or generic genre fair that rarely push viewer limits; but what else could a studio like A24 offer if it weren't for those unique perspectives that aim on creating more than just casual entertainment?
Conclusion: A24's Unique Approach to the Mythical and the Mundane
In "Death of a Unicorn”, A24 has crafted something rather bizarre that will likely provide great discussion points long after viewing sessions; its a tale that uses humour with both emotional drama and thriller beats to present an otherwise ethical and moral dilemma about the core concept of commodification; this means: is it truly possible to view miracles through just one single narrow lens that serves selfish individualist ambitions at its core?
The promise of a bizarre storyline ( as the teaser has presented), a talented cast, and with the backing from creative directors and studios that prioritize vision over mass appeal is a very interesting selling point by itself which should mean that this particular picture could be another great success for the studio, mostly from its ability in bending familiar genre types into something less traditional. "Death of a Unicorn” is setting up a stage that might bring several ethical considerations and, potentially spark new interesting debates about those often very complex philosophical frameworks presented when viewed through a very casual approach regarding human desire with moral complexities. So for A24 fans, this alone will be another great value for investment upon future release.