Why is “Death of a Unicorn” rated R? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “strong violent content, gore, language and some drug use.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes several scenes of humans killing a unicorn by a car, as well as bludgeoning and shooting it and trying to use it for medical research, several scenes of people being killed by unicorns including goring and dismemberment, two men stabbing each other, discussions of a woman dying from cancer, a man snorting a powdered drug, many arguments, and over 20 F-words and other strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.

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A man (Paul Rudd) takes his daughter (Jenna Ortega) to an estate for the weekend, hoping to impress his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) and be offered a position that will help him take care of all their needs. After a car accident that leaves a young unicorn seemingly fatally wounded, truth and lore cross paths and the right decision going forward becomes less clear. Also with David Pasquesi, Anthony Carrigan, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, Sunita Mani and Steve Park. Directed by Alex Scharfman. [Running Time: 1:47]

Death of a Unicorn SEX/NUDITY 1

 – People remark about a young woman’s hormones. People talk about lore and refer to a pure-hearted maiden.
► A man sits in a hot tub wearing swim trunks and we see his bare chest, abdomen and back when he gets out of the tub. A man wears a robe partially open in the front and we see part of his bare chest.

Death of a Unicorn VIOLENCE/GORE 8

 – A man pounds a wounded unicorn on the head several times with a tire iron, we hear its skull crack and a young woman is splattered in the face with the animal’s blood. Lights flash and a monitor beeps as a unicorn is wheeled on a stretcher; a man standing next to the animal is pierced through the back by a unicorn horn (blood sprays and we see the horn covered with blood and a gaping hole in the man’s chest when the animal pulls the horn back out); armed security in the area opens fire on the animal. A man reaches toward a unicorn to touch its horn and it tips its head forward, then rams the horn under the chin of the man and through his skull killing him (we see a lot of blood) and the man is dropped to the floor. A woman is picked up after being gored by a unicorn and she is torn in half (we see and hear blood gush). A woman is stabbed through the shoulder by a unicorn’s horn (we see blood on her shoulder), she is dragged away by the leg (we see her bloody leg), she is slammed onto a table and the unicorn bites her abdomen and pulls out her intestines (we see blood on the woman’s mouth and the intestines) and she dies. A unicorn slams into a car with a young woman inside; the animal roars and flashes sharp teeth, the young woman gets out of the car and hides under it as armed security shoot around the area; we see one guard fall to the ground and a unicorn steps on his head crushing it slowly.
► A man speeds on a winding mountain road, sneezes and slams into a young unicorn in the road; the car spins out and we see the animal lying still on the ground with a patch of blood on its side and we hear it whimpering (blood pools on the road under the animal’s body). A vehicle with a presumed dead unicorn in the back begins moving, its alarm sounds and the animal kicks out a window and its horn pierces the roof as it whinnies and thrashes and a woman shoots it in the head. A man receives numerous texts telling him to run while he and others are searching for a unicorn in a dark forest; a woman in their party is grabbed by a unicorn and taken away in the dark as a man shoots after it. A man stabs another man with a unicorn horn and the stabbed man stabs the attacker with an arrow (we see bloody wounds); one man is then kicked in the head by a unicorn and is thrown through the air (we see his crushed skull and blood).
► Tapestries depicting unicorns being killed by humans (stabbings and bloody wounds are seen), unicorns killing humans (goring and one person torn in half with his intestines and blood pouring out), and a unicorn in captivity are shown in several scenes. A man leans forward in his chair causing a sleeping young woman, whose head was resting on his shoulder, to hit her head on the arm of the chair. A young woman touches a wounded unicorn’s horn when it glows and she sees bright swirling lights and stars.
► Three unicorns chase a police car with a man and a young woman inside, they charge the vehicle from the side and we understand that it was pushed off the road (we hear the ruckus but do not see it). Two unicorns touch their horns together and lights and sparks swirl around them as we see wounds on a wounded unicorn and a man heal and they each revive; a cloud grows above them and an explosion throws them to the ground uninjured. A unicorn chases a young woman, stops and presents its horn presumably for her to touch it and a woman shoots at the animal causing it to run away. A unicorn roars in a young woman’s face, and then lies in her lap on the ground; another unicorn also lays on the young woman’s lap, and a man ties the animals’ legs together planning to take them away. A young woman is awakened by two people wearing hazmat suits and she and a man are taken to a laboratory where they are examined and tested. A dead unicorn is shown lying on a stretcher in a laboratory in a few scenes while doctors test and examine it; we see its horn being cut off and later a doctor slices its throat and thick blood pours into a basin. A man seems to be fully recovered from an illness after receiving an injection of unicorn blood.
► A man brags about having killed lions, elephants and giant apes. We understand that a woman died from cancer. A man talks about being cryogenically frozen after he dies. We hear a whine coming from a dark cave and echoing through a forest in a few scenes. People call loudly for a servant to get them things and do things for them in numerous scenes. A man says that they are on Blackfoot Land. People discuss replicating the chemicals in a unicorn’s blood for cancer treatments.
► A man seems very ill and sits in a wheelchair with an oxygen tube at his nose. We hear a man’s labored breathing and wheezing in a few scenes. A man sneezes repeatedly while driving and we see several used tissues. A young woman picks at acne on her face. A young woman washes blood off her face and her acne spots clear up and disappear. A man puts the powder of a ground unicorn horn in his mouth and then snorts some like cocaine in several scenes and we see his eyes glow as the powder enters his system.

Death of a Unicorn LANGUAGE 7

 – About 23 F-words, 13 scatological terms, 2 mild obscenities, name-calling (pity prop, predatory capitalism, mad, feral, bureaucrat, grubby hands, crazy, girth some, weak, gate guy, horse girl, crass, weird, vengeful, violent beast, misogynistic), exclamations (mucking around, what the heck, bloody, calm down, relax), 1 religious profanity (GD), 5 religious exclamations (e.g. oh my God, Holy [scatological term deleted], thank God). | profanity glossary |

Death of a Unicorn SUBSTANCE USE

 – A man puts powder of a ground unicorn horn in his mouth and then snorts some like cocaine, and a man smokes some powdered unicorn horn with a pipe. A man carries a glass of what looks like a Bloody Mary and drinks from it, a man drinks glasses of straight liquor in several scenes, and three people drink champagne. A man smokes a cigar in a hot tub, and a young woman vapes in several scenes.

Death of a Unicorn DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Unicorns, lore, family, death of a loved one, single parenting, greed, nature, destiny, regret, corruption, principles, pharmaceutical research, pharmaceutical industry, FDA, sympathy, cancer treatment, Ponce de Leone.

Death of a Unicorn MESSAGE

 – Respecting nature can get you farther than destroying it for selfish purposes.