A Whimsical Dive into Dark Comedy
Death of a Unicorn is a movie that revolves around Riley, a little girl played by Jenna Ortega and her father, Elliot played by Paul Rudd, who run over a unicorn. They bring the mythical creature to a wild-life center belonging to a pharmaceutical company’s CEO, portrayed by Richard E Grant revealing that its (unicorn) has medical benefits. The plot is questionable from the ethical point of view concerning the use of mythical creatures for the modern scientific achievements.
Introducing peculiar features of the black comedy and the horror genre, the film does not remain serious in its presentations of ethical issues and absurdities, but that is how modern ethical issues look like. It deals with issues like ethical application of science, avarice of the mankind, as well as family values all together keeping a measure of humor therefore, the bitter-sweet watching experience is provided.
Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd do perfectly what can be expected from a father and daughter; they are so naturally funny and touching on screen. Ortega, makes Riley seem like the young curious and rebellious teenager which is so common in the youth nowadays while Rudd’s Elliot is quite the balance with his comedic and at the same time quite paternal demeanor. Richard E Grant works well as the flamboyant pharma CEO While Alex Scharfman directing is very effective, he manages to mix the elements of action, comedy, thriller and drama with aptness. Every scene is vivid and playful, and the humor serves the film’s messages and the Overall questioning of the distinction between dream and reality. This balance continues to engage the audience in the film’s dark humor.
The beauty of cinematography in the film is seen in the shot taken on the unicorn against the backdrop of the perverted nature of the scene to enhance the magic of the film. During the performance of both wide shots and close ups, beauty and bleakness are revealed in the storyline.
The environment and the settings are beautiful and natural as the storyline is shot in real locations and the beauty and creativity of the human imagination come out in magical realism production design. The combination of elements from the contemporary and the legendary contributes to the creation of an eye catching and formal setting which is at the same time easily recognizable and otherworldly Special effects are used wisely; for instance the illustration of the unicorn. Optimal use of props adds realism to the fairy-tale themes without sacrificing comedy Basic cutting does not burden the viewers with dull scenes. The shift from one scene to the next is smooth and logical, which means that the plot just evolves in a most natural manner while keeping the entire movie mysterious and funny at the same time.
The pacing of the movie is great, jokes and suspense are interlaced well enough so that the viewer never gets bored, yet is never overwhelmed by the black comedy tone of the film.
The conversations are smart and often a joke can be injected right This element helps far not only in creating the character but also in deepening the audience interest.
It is successful in various ways, but its attempt at genre mash-up sometimes leads to inconsistency. Some scenes feel slightly out of place, and spectators can be notified of that even for a few seconds. However, all these irregularities are more than made up for by the overall inventive approach that is characteristic for Death of a Unicorn during the majority of the film. It will therefore leave many viewers in the modern world of ethical dilemmas of magical realism to ponder. In essence, it is a fairy tale with elements of a moral issue well hidden behind a veil of a joke.
