Genre: Dark Fantasy, Psychological Horror
Runtime: 120 minutes
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Screenplay: Mike Flanagan
Music: Hildur Guðnadóttir
Synopsis:
In a world where mythical creatures exist in secret, a reclusive billionaire, Victor Holloway (played by Javier Bardem), captures the last known unicorn in a desperate bid to harvest its healing properties to save his terminally ill daughter, Lily Holloway (Anya Taylor-Joy). However, the act of killing the unicorn unleashes a curse that twists reality, warping Holloway’s secluded estate into a nightmarish realm where grief, guilt, and monstrous transformations consume all who dwell within.
Plot Summary:
Act 1: The Last Unicorn
Victor Holloway, a ruthless biotech mogul, has spent decades searching for proof of the supernatural after his wife’s death from an incurable disease. When his daughter, Lily, is diagnosed with the same illness, he becomes obsessed with finding a unicorn—legendary for its purifying blood.
A team of mercenaries led by the hardened Elias Voss (Idris Elba) succeeds in capturing one in a hidden forest, but not without casualties. The creature, eerily intelligent and sorrowful, is brought to Holloway’s gothic mansion, where scientists prepare to extract its essence.
Act 2: The Sacrifice
Lily, a compassionate young woman, bonds with the unicorn in secret, sensing its suffering. She begs her father to release it, but he refuses, convinced its death will save her. In a grotesque ritual, the unicorn is slain—but instead of healing Lily, its dying scream fractures reality.
The estate is engulfed in an unnatural storm. Those who participated in the killing begin transforming into monstrous versions of themselves—Victor grows antlers, his skin hardening like bark; Elias’s body twists into a wolf-like beast. The scientists mutate into grotesque, flesh-warped horrors.
Act 3: The Curse Takes Hold
Lily, seemingly spared, discovers the truth: the unicorn’s curse doesn’t kill—it reveals. Each person’s inner corruption manifests physically. Victor, consumed by selfish love, becomes a hollow, antlered wraith. Elias, a man of violence, turns feral.
The mansion itself twists into a labyrinth of living flesh and bone. Lily, still human, is pursued by the monsters her father and his team have become. She learns that the only way to break the curse is to let go—to accept death rather than defy it at the cost of innocent lives.
In a heartbreaking climax, Lily embraces her fate, allowing her illness to take her. As she dies peacefully, the curse lifts. The mansion crumbles, the mutated victims disintegrating into dust. The last shot is of a single white flower growing where the unicorn died—nature’s quiet reclamation.
Themes & Tone:
- Grief and Letting Go – The film explores the destructive nature of clinging to life at any cost.
- Corruption of Innocence – The unicorn’s death symbolizes purity destroyed by human greed.
- Body Horror – Del Toro’s signature grotesque transformations reflect moral decay.
Visual Style:
- Gothic Horror – Dark, ornate mansions, eerie forests.
- Surreal Nightmares – Think Pan’s Labyrinth meets Annihilation.
- Practical Effects – The creature designs are visceral and haunting.
Ending:
The film closes with a lone traveler (Florence Pugh in a cameo) discovering the ruins of Holloway’s estate. She picks up the white flower—only for a faint, spectral unicorn to flicker in the distance before vanishing. A cycle of myth and tragedy continues.
Why It Works:
- Emotional Core – A tragic father-daughter story grounds the horror.
- Mythic Weight – The unicorn isn’t just a creature; it’s a force of nature.
- No Cheap Escapes – The curse isn’t defeated by a hero—it’s resolved through sacrifice.
Would you watch this? 🦄🔥
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