The following contains spoilers for Death of a Unicorn, now playing in theatersDeath of a Unicornends on a somewhat ambiguous note, raising the question over the final fate of Elliot and Ridley.Death of a Unicornfocuses on the father and daughter as they head towards the estate of Elliot’s wealthy employers, the Leopold family. Along the way, they strike a unicorn with their car and end up bringing it along. This leads to the discovery of the unicorn’s healing properties, but also draws the lethal attention of the unicorn’s parents inthe darkly hilariousDeath of a Unicorn.
This sets off the brutal main plot of the film, with most ofDeath of a Unicorn’s castgetting picked off by the creatures until there are only three survivors. The brutal movie comes to a surprisingly emotional ending, completing the central arc even while leaving things on a question over the ultimate fate of the main characters. Here’s how the unicorns' cosmic powers work inDeath of a Unicorn’s ending and what it suggests about the final moments of the film.
Why The Unicorns Crash The Cop Car: Are They Saving Elliot & Ridley Or Trying To Kill Them?
The Unicorns Could Be Trying To Help Elliot Or Ridley, Or Covering Their Tracks
The ending ofJenna Ortega’sDeath of a Unicorncloses out on a somewhat ambiguous turn, with the film leaving it unclear what happens to the survivors of the unicorn rampage. As the only survivors that the police and Griff find on the Leopold grounds, Elliot and Ridley are promptly arrested. However,the unicorns follow alongside their car and share a meaningful look with Elliot before forcing the car off the road. Due to the sheer inhuman nature of the animal, there’s a certain uncertainty to the reasoning behind the attack.
There’s a chance the unicorns are trying to help out Elliot and Ridley, attacking the cop car to free them. Alternatively, the unicorns could be trying to finish the job and further hide their existence by killing the last witnesses. The fact that the unicorns resurrected Elliot makes it unlikely they’d simply try to kill him again, especially because they have a connection to Ridley. Coupled with the fact that the unicorn seems to give Elliot a silent warning before it strikes,it seems likelier that the unicorns are trying to help Elliot and Ridley by crashing the cop car, even if it threatens their lives in the process.
Elliot’s Death & Resurrection In Death Of A Unicorn Explained
Why The Unicorns Resurrect Elliot Alongside Their Child
Elliot is the last major on-screen death inDeath of a Unicorn. After surviving the night and even using the baby unicorn horn to lure away one of the parents, Elliot discovers Shepard using Ridley to calm and capture the other unicorn. Elliot wounds Shepard with the unicorn horn and is promptly stabbed right back with an arrow. While Shepard is finished off by the unicorn, Elliot quickly bleed out in his daughter’s arms. It turns out that when their powers are pooled together, the unicorns are capable of resurrection.
It’s seemingly because Ridley is indeed an honored maiden in the eyes of the unicorn, further suggesting they didn’t try to kill the Elliot and Ridley at the end of the film.
They do this on their baby once the horn is reattached and healed, and they notably pull Elliot next to the young animal so he can be restored too. This is a big metaphysical moment for the film, as it exposes Elliot to the cosmic space that Ridley was connected to earlier in the film and underscores the mystical nature of the creatures. It’s seemingly because Ridley is indeed an honored maiden in the eyes of the unicorn, further suggesting they didn’t attempt to kill the Elliot and Ridley at the end of the film.
What Happens To Elliot, Ridley & The Unicorns Now?
Death Of A Unicorn Ends On One Final Attack
With the Leopolds and almost all their employees dead, there’s no one aware of their existence. They can likely blend back into the shadows of myth and legend, with the blame for the massacre either placed on other wild animals or Elliot and Ridley. The unicorns will likely return to the forests, which will remain undeveloped because of their status as protected lands.The unicorns get a happy ending, reunited as a family and a secret to the world. Things might be tougher for Elliot and Ridley. If they survive the car crash caused by the unicorns.
“A Keystone To Understanding The Movie”: How Paul Rudd & Jenna Ortega’s A24 Horror Movie Sent Its Director Down A “Rabbit Hole” Of Unicorn Research
EXCLUSIVE: Death of a Unicorn director Alex Scharfman explains how the A24 horror comedy sent him down a “rabbit hole” of unicorn research.
They could potentially face suspicion for the carnage carried out at the compound. Even if Griff comes to their defense and they avoid legal trouble, Elliot and Ridley could end up targeted by the powerful men and women that the Leopolds were attempting to sell the restorative properties of the unicorns to. While Elliot and Ridley may not reveal the truth they know about the unicorns,that might not be enough to stop other companies from trying to pick up where the Leopolds left off, setting up a further conflict between humans and unicorns.
Where Did The Unicorns Come From?
The Unicorns Are Mysterious Monsters That Have Always Been Around
The unicorns don’t get a firm origin inDeath of a Unicorn, although the film repeatedly hammers home their connection to the world around them. Their horns serve as tethers to the greater cosmos, something Ridley, Elliot, and even Shepard experience at different times in the film. Ridley’s research into the unicorns proves to be largely accurate, soher theory that the unicorns are a rare species that is a natural part of the ecosystem is likely correct.
Ridley uses the “The Unicorn Tapestries” for her research inDeath of a Unicorn. The iconic artwork is revealed to actually be part of a warning about the dangerous qualities of unicorns.
The film only features three unicorns, one of which is dead for much of the run-time.Death of a Unicornimplies they have existed for centuries though, with many people in the past trying (and failing) to capture and tame them. This led to humans steering clear of the creatures until they faded into myth, only for expansion into otherwise untapped wilderness by the wealthy reintroduced the species together. This suggests the world has more unicorns out there, potentially even the same ones given that the species is apparently immortal.
Where Did Griff Go In Death Of A Unicorn?
Griff Is The Only Other Survivor Of The Unicorn Attack
One of the most entertaining aspects ofDeath of a Unicornis Griff. Played by Anthony Carrigan, Griff is the long-suffering butler for the Leopold family. Silently following the family’s orders for much of the film, the stress of the situation with the unicorns eventually breaks him. Frustrated with the Leopolds always putting him last, Leopold reluctantly risks his life to open the outside gate (although he does bond with Ridley, who empathizes with him throughout the film).This means he’s the only one who escapes the grounds during the rampage, making his escape and informing the police.
The ambiguous nature of the ending also applies to Griff, although his sympathetic qualities make him (like Elliot and Ridley) less likely to have just been killed off-screen.
Griff is last seen in the film driving behind the police officer, likely to give his own statement about the events at the Leopold house. Given his connection to Ridley, it’s likely that Griff would speak in their defense. The unicorns also notably seem to push him off the road too, meaning that he may be seen as a threat to the pair.The ambiguous nature of the ending also applies to Griff, although his sympathetic qualities make him (like Elliot and Ridley) less likely to have just been killed off-screen.
The Real Meaning Of Death Of A Unicorn
Death Of A Unicorn Is About Families On One Level And Harsh Satire On Another
Death of a Unicornis ultimately about two things: on the one hand, the film is a harsh satire and take-down of the elite, specifically families that run pharmaceutical companies. They mess with nature in a bid to empower and enrich themselves, and it gets them (along with all of their staff) killed. None of the Leopolds are portrayed in a positive light, with their weak justifications for their terrible actions doing little to save themselves or redeem them to the audience.Their deaths are framed as darkly comedic moments of comeuppance, highlighting the film’s clearly dark view on that type of person.
On a more emotional level, the film is about parents and their children.Elliot and Ridley’s emotional distance is the core arc of the film, with the pair repairing their relationship over the film. The unicorns are murderous because of the death of their child, ultimately restoring him and reuniting their family. The Leopolds are dreadful people, but their most human characteristics are their feelings for one another. Griff and doomed scientist Dr. Bhatia both note their families as motivations for their jobs and actions.Death of a Unicornis quietly about the importance of that bond and focuses on how the grand scope of the universe can help repair that relationship.
