When the first grainy set photos of Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd surfaced from a remote location in Hungary, the internet basically had a meltdown. It was 2023, and the "Wednesday" fever was at an all-time high. Then you had Rudd—the man who simply refuses to age—teaming up with the new queen of macabre for something called Death of a Unicorn. It sounded like a fever dream. People were expecting a cute, whimsical fantasy, maybe something along the lines of a dark Enchanted.
They were wrong. Very wrong.
Now that we’re in 2026, we can look back at this A24 experiment with a bit more clarity. Honestly, the movie wasn't the massive blockbuster everyone predicted, but it has become this weird, cult-favorite artifact that people are still arguing about on Reddit. If you haven't seen it yet, or you're just wondering why your Twitter feed still brings up "that unicorn movie," here’s the actual breakdown of the most bizarre pairing in recent Hollywood history.
The Plot That Left Everyone Confused
The movie, directed by Alex Scharfman, isn't about sparkly rainbows. It’s a dark, gory, satirical horror-comedy. Paul Rudd plays Elliot, a somewhat spineless lawyer working for a massive pharmaceutical company. Jenna Ortega is his daughter, Ridley, a cynical teenager who is basically the moral compass of the film.
The inciting incident is exactly what the title says. While driving to a corporate retreat in the Canadian Rockies, Elliot accidentally hits a unicorn with his car. Not a horse with a fake horn—a real, magical, breathing unicorn.
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Things get exceptionally dark from there. Instead of calling for help, they bring the body to Elliot’s billionaire boss, Odell Leopold (played with terrifying glee by Richard E. Grant). The Leopolds realize the unicorn's blood and horn have "miraculous curative properties." Think instant healing for everything from acne to terminal illness. Naturally, the corporate elites decide to harvest the creature to create the ultimate luxury drug.
What they didn't count on? The unicorn’s parents coming back for revenge.
Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd: A Dynamic Duo?
The chemistry between Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd is the only reason the movie doesn't completely collapse under its own absurdity. In interviews, Ortega mentioned that she was often confused on set because Scharfman told her to play everything "grounded and real," while the rest of the cast was acting in a full-blown cartoonish satire.
It works, though.
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Rudd does this "anxious dad" thing better than anyone. He’s a guy trying to secure his daughter’s financial future by doing something objectively evil. Ortega, meanwhile, carries that deadpan "Wednesday" energy but with a lot more vulnerability. She isn't just a goth girl here; she’s a kid watching her father lose his soul to a pharmaceutical cult.
Why the Box Office Wasn't Great
When the movie hit theaters on March 28, 2025, the numbers were... well, they were okay. It pulled in about $5.8 million in its opening weekend. For an A24 film with a $15 million budget, that’s not a disaster, but it definitely didn't "save cinema."
Critics were split right down the middle. Some loved the "eat-the-rich" satire, while others found the tone way too messy. It currently sits with a 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty low for stars of this caliber. But here’s the thing: audiences liked it way more than the pros did. On HBO Max, it actually stayed in the Top 10 for weeks after it dropped in July 2025.
The Practical Effects and the Gore
One thing most people get wrong about Death of a Unicorn is the "fantasy" label. This is a horror movie. Once the adult unicorns show up—which look more like prehistoric beasts than My Little Pony—the film turns into a bloodbath.
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The unicorns aren't "pretty." They have tombstone teeth and amber eyes. There’s a scene involving a pharmaceutical scientist and a jagged horn that I still can't quite unsee. It’s very much in the vein of Jurassic Park if the raptors were magical horses with a grudge.
What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
The production was actually one of the few allowed to continue during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Since A24 is an independent studio and wasn't part of the AMPTP at the time, they got a waiver. This meant Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd were some of the only A-listers actually working during that summer.
They filmed in Budapest, which stood in for the Canadian Rockies. According to crew reports, the "unicorn blood" was a specific type of purple syrup that was so sticky it actually ruined several of the custom car interiors.
How to Watch it Now
If you missed the theatrical run, you’ve got a few options in 2026.
- Streaming: It’s currently a staple on Max (formerly HBO Max).
- Physical Media: A24 released a "Special Edition" Blu-ray in late 2025 that includes a behind-the-scenes look at the creature effects.
- Digital: Available for rent or purchase on all major platforms like Amazon and Apple TV.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a fan of the Ortega/Rudd pairing, don't expect a sequel. The ending—without spoiling too much—doesn't exactly leave the door wide open for Death of a Unicorn 2: The Resurrecting. However, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of this weird cinematic era:
- Watch the SXSW Interviews: Look up the 2025 South by Southwest panels. The cast is much more candid there about how weird the script actually was.
- Check out the Soundtrack: Dan Romer and Giosuè Greco did the score, and it’s a weirdly beautiful mix of orchestral and eerie synth that actually makes the movie feel more expensive than it was.
- Follow the Director: Alex Scharfman is definitely a voice to watch. Even if you hated the movie, you can't deny it had a specific, unapologetic vision.
The pairing of Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd might have seemed like a PR stunt at first, but it resulted in one of the most original (and deeply weird) films of the decade. It’s a messy, violent, and surprisingly emotional look at what happens when corporate greed meets actual magic. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely something you won't forget.