Death of a Unicorn is a thrilling and exciting creature feature that reminded me of why I love going to the movies. It was playful and watching unicorns terrorize humans wasn’t something I knew I needed to see. A24 is known for pushing out stories with unique premises and unexpected twists, but Alex Scharfman’s newest film takes us on an upward spiral contrasting A24’s darker repertoire. While the film is full of enticing twists and whimsy there is a lot to see in the Static Glass.

Despite the obvious criticism of capitalism, death is an obvious theme in the story’s premise and today, I wanted to explore the idea of how greed and death coincide . Death is something that most people have had to face throughout their lives in some regard and if i’m staring into the glass, my reflection would show an innate fear of death. I find myself wondering what happens after we die. Is it really all over? It’s something that I have always agonized over, even as a kid. After the pandemic, we were really faced with the reality of our mortality. Looking deeper, also, a societal fear of extinction. I believe that this has really bled into the way we move as a community. Perhaps, subconsciously, even impacting the decisions we make as a whole and as individuals. At the end of the day we are all just trying to survive and make it out okay, whether that is trying to stay afloat physically, monetarily, or spiritually.

We can really explore this idea of survival through Paul Rudd’s character, Elliot. Elliot takes his daughter on a trip to meet his boss and his family, where he is eager to improve his career and their financial status. To Elliot, the most valuable thing he can give his family is financial security. He values this so much that he even finds himself in a sticky situation that pushes him to ignore warnings of danger, that to some seem highly visible. His daughter, Ridley, portrayed by Jenna Ortega, however has an opposite view point that brings in much needed contrast. To Elliot, and many of the other characters, having money equates to being safe so we see deceit, gaslighting, and chaos erupt throughout the depiction.

Money equaling security is a belief I realize I hold in high regard, however, when you’re life is being threatened by a magical creature— will money really save you? That is the absurdness that shines through in this story and a good reflection in the Static Glass. Through this movie, I saw an omen of what could happen when you drill for more resources than you need both in reality and metaphorically. There are always consequences to living out of fear and greed. We see this in the world through violence, both on a small and a large scale. The race for money and resources has made us forget who we are as a society. What the unicorns show us is that purity isn’t in not making mistakes, but it’s in realizing when we make those mistakes and changing it. Elliot had to dig deep and go through a traumatic experience to realize that what his daughter really needed was a connection with him, not a money lifeline from people who didn’t care about them.

Ridley on the other hand, represents a generation of people who can see faults caused by greed. Her connection with the unicorns can be representative of this idealistic view of someone who is not clutched by the hands of greed. Ridley has this “purity” because she learned early, through her mothers death, the importance in her life. She wasn’t afraid of “money equaling death”, what she was afraid of was losing another parent. Her fear was rational and warranted, but mostly ignored. It’s this perspective that allowed her to see the special and mystical nature of the unicorns. That “killing” a unicorn would lead to nothing good. It’s through this character that we can explore grief. The grievance of life and those we have lost, but what the unicorns show her can give us hope that perhaps there is some light at the end. What it made me realize, is that, death might not be something to fear. That the unknown is just that, unknown, but there might be some magic in that.

Sure there is some cliche in this story, but aren’t don’t cliche’s always end up showing up in our lives as truth? In Death of a Unicorn, Elliot and Ridley are given visions that lead them to a calmness. A sense that those who have left us are okay and perhaps we, who are still here, will also be okay. So if we are riddled with fear of death, perhaps, it’s because we can’t look beyond what is unknown. That sentiment of the film allowed me to breathe a bit. Sure, I don’t know what happens beyond dying or beyond this moment right now, but it’s not worth agonizing over. Perhaps it’s just knowing you are making the best decisions you can, prioritizing the right things, and trying to perserve the magic of this life. I don’t have any answers about capitalism or the state of this world, but there are definitely some unicorns that we can look to for solace.

What are the unicorns in your life?

Today let’s listen to, Everything’s Magic by Angels and Airwaves!

Thank you, I love you.

-Rae