Though 2025’s horror comedy Loss of life of a Unicorn underperformed on the field workplace upon launch, the underrated satire is now lastly getting its overdue flowers on streaming. Whereas Loss of life of a Unicorn’s cliffhanger ending was daring, the Jenna Ortega automobile didn’t resonate with audiences when the blackly comedian fantasy was launched in early 2025.
The most recent in a string of “Eat the wealthy” satires, a24’s Loss of life of a Unicorn follows Paul Rudd’s Elliot and Ortega’s Ridley, a father/daughter duo who by chance hit a unicorn whereas driving to the distant, remoted property of Elliot’s billionaire boss. Whereas the pair would possibly attempt to do the best factor, the billionaire’s household quickly begins meddling.
Performed with garish glee by Will Poulter, Tea Leoni, and Richard E. Grant, this despicable household tries to make use of the unicorn’s legendary properties for their very own revenue, thus engendering the wrath of different legendary beasts hiding within the shadows. Quickly, an all-out gory struggle between people and unicorns breaks out, and Elliot and Ridley are caught within the center.
Loss of life of a Unicorn Earned Solely $16 Million On the Field Workplace
Whereas Jenna Ortega’s field workplace success as a scream queen was all the time certain to return to an finish, it was nonetheless a shock when Loss of life of a Unicorn proved the dying knell of this profession development. In any case, director Alex Scharfman’s film appeared to mix lots of fashionable field workplace tendencies into one well timed challenge.
Ortega’s horror films had been dependable field workplace hits, from 2022’s X to each Scream reboots to 2024’s Tim Burton’s belated franchise installment, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Horror-comedy with components of fantasy appeared notably suited to the rising star’s oeuvre since Ortega’s most well-known position up to now got here in Burton’s Addams Household reimagining, Wednesday.
Since Wednesday is one in all Netflix’s greatest hits ever, Ortega’s central position in Loss of life of a Unicorn alone appeared like sufficient to assist out the film’s field workplace. Nonetheless, there was additionally the recognition of latest unflattering satirical portrayals of the mega-rich onscreen. Knives Out, its sequel Glass Onion, The Menu, and Triangle of Unhappiness all succeeded financially and critically.
Even on the small display screen, reveals like Succession and Business excelled with critics by exposing the ugly underbelly of company capitalism. Thus, by combining low-budget horror, Ortega’s star energy, and a satirical story of the idle wealthy getting their simply deserts, Loss of life of a Unicorn appeared like a surefire hit.
As an alternative, the film earned solely $16.5 million on a finances of $15 million. Loss of life of a Unicorn continued a24’s most shocking chilly streak because the film grew to become the most recent in a protracted line of horror comedies that the distributor failed to show into mainstream field workplace hits.
Loss of life of a Unicorn’s Crucial Reception Beat Its Field Workplace
Even earlier than Loss of life of a Unicorn’s failure, A24’s output painted a damning portrait of its comedy horror efforts. 2025’s Opus, 2024’s Y2K, 2023’s Beau Is Afraid, 2021’s False Constructive, 2018’s Slice, and 2014’s Life After Beth all struggled to win over critics, whereas Opus, Y2K, and Beau Is Afraid had been all additionally main monetary failures.
To be honest, Loss of life of a Unicorn fared higher with critics than it did with audiences, though its Rotten Tomatoes rating was removed from flawless. With a important rating of 52% and an viewers rating of 76%, Loss of life of a Unicorn’s important reception was higher than the film’s field workplace failure suggests. Moreover, the film itself was higher than its critiques.
Though Loss of life of a Unicorn’s tone is slightly broad and cartoony, this similar high quality offers the film a way of anarchic enjoyable that’s powerful to withstand. Loss of life of a Unicorn’s ending is slightly too darkish for its playful, zany tone, and its satire doesn’t all the time work, however Ortega is excellent, and the supporting forged is universally nice.
How Loss of life Of A Unicorn Compares To Jenna Ortega’s Different Motion pictures
Loss of life of a Unicorn is properly price waiting for comedy followers, horror followers, and followers of Ortega’s display screen profession. Nonetheless, the film additionally inadvertently highlighted the star’s greatest profession battle with its muted field workplace reception. Wednesday is among the greatest reveals on this planet, however Ortega nonetheless hasn’t managed to persistently dominate on the field workplace.
For each theatrical hit, like Scream or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, she has a battle, just like the Weeknd’s self-importance challenge Hurry Up Tomorrow, Miller’s Lady, or Loss of life of a Unicorn. A few of these films are redeemed by optimistic important reactions, like Loss of life of a Unicorn, but it surely doesn’t assist that different initiatives, like Finestkind and Winter Spring Summer time or Fall, went straight to streaming.
Proper now, Ortega is inarguably a famous person, and a real A-lister who can climate lots of flops earlier than her star energy runs the danger of being dimmed. That stated, it’s nonetheless unlucky to see fascinating, authentic initiatives like Loss of life of a Unicorn go underneath seen when her appreciable star energy is hooked up to them, particularly after earlier huge display screen struggles.
- Launch Date
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March 28, 2025
- Runtime
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107 minutes
- Director
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Alex Scharfman
- Writers
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Alex Scharfman
- Producers
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Drew P. Houpt, Lars Knudsen, Lucas Joaquin, Tim Headington, Tyler Campellone