Sure! Based on the transcript from Mindframes Episode 90 – "Death of a Unicorn", here are listener-friendly notes:
Episode 90: Death of a Unicorn
A Mindframes Film Conversation
Guests:
- 🎙️ Tarek Fayoumi (Chicago film critic)
🎬 Basic Info
- Film: Death of a Unicorn
- Director: Alex Scharfman (Directorial debut)
- Genre: Black comedy with horror elements
- Cast Highlights:
- Paul Rudd as Elliot
- Jenna Ortega as Ridley
- Richard E. Grant as Odell
- Will Poulter as Shepard
- Téa Leoni as Odell's wife
- Anthony Carrigan as Griff
- Jessica Hynes as Shaw
- Premiere: South by Southwest (SXSW)
- Wide Release: This weekend (as of episode release)
🎭 Key Themes
- Satire of the ultra-wealthy
- Performative altruism
- Corporate greed (nods to pharma industry)
- Unicorns as metaphors — not for children!
- Mashup of genre: horror + black comedy
- Comparisons to Companion, Triangle of Sadness, and Black Sheep
⏱️ Timestamps & Highlights
| Timestamp | Topic |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Episode intro + guest Tarek Fayoumi joins |
| 00:50 | Overview of Death of a Unicorn & director Alex Scharfman |
| 02:50 | Early reactions and quirky tone of the film |
| 05:30 | Non-spoiler plot summary – unicorns, gore, and satire |
| 06:57 | Expanded plot: Paul Rudd’s character hits a unicorn en route to a CEO’s wilderness estate |
| 08:00 | Gore, vengeance, and absurdist turns |
| 09:00 | Neil deGrasse Tyson jokes and tonal weirdness |
| 09:20 | Cast discussion begins – Paul Rudd staying in his comedic “box” |
| 11:00 | Jenna Ortega’s horror film streak & flexibility as an actress |
| 13:00 | Will Poulter as a “punchable privileged” character with great comic timing |
| 19:00 | Téa Leoni praised for subtlety and satire – comparisons to Toni Collette |
| 21:00 | Recognition of supporting cast: Anthony Carrigan, Jessica Hynes, and Katherine Erbe |
| 26:00 | Commentary on satire and class critique |
| 27:00 | Cinematography discussion – possible nature doc inspiration |
| 28:30 | Importance of unicorn visuals – practical + CGI blend |
| 32:00 | Film was shot in Slovenia, animation outsourced – budget-conscious production |
| 36:00 | Cost-saving decisions and strategic casting choices |
| 38:00 | Discussion on shifting movie release windows and streaming vs theatrical landscape |
| 39:30 | Joke about popcorn buckets and box office trends |
| 42:00 | Reviews begin – Mike praises the genre blend and Will Poulter's performance |
| 43:30 | Dave praises the gore, creature effects, and genre fusion |
| 46:00 | Final verdict: 3 out of 4 unicorn horns from bot Mark as Played Popular PodcastsCold Case Files: Miami Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves. Dateline NBC Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com Stuff You Should Know If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered. |