‘Death Of A Unicorn’: Will Poulter & Alex Scharfman Talk Absurdist Unicorn Horror & Lore, ‘Warfare,’ & An MCU Dream Team-Up [The Discourse Podcast]

On the latest episode of The Discourse, actor Will Poulter and writer-director Alex Scharfman joined host Mike DeAngelo to discuss their new A24 horror-comedy “Death of a Unicorn,” a twisted genre mash-up that brings unicorns into the Spielbergian creature-feature fold. The film also stars Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Téa Leoni, Anthony Carrigan, Richard E. Grant, and Sunita Mani and tells the story of a tech billionaire’s lawyer and his daughter who accidentally hit a unicorn with their car and attempt to cover it up at an elite corporate retreat. Magical madness, death, and more unicorn action ensue!

Having taken a break from comedy in recent years, Poulter said he relished playing Shepard, an Ivy League-bred man-child desperate for approval and woefully out of touch. “It’s really fun to be conscious of the fact that everyone’s going to be laughing at you and never with you,” he said. “You sort of feel like he’s never really left the various ivory towers that his family owns around the world but thinks he’s superior to everyone around him.”

READ MORE: ‘Death of a Unicorn’ Review: Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd Make Monster Movie Magic for A24 [SXSW]

Despite his delusions of grandeur, Poulter was careful not to strip Shep of all humanity. “I don’t want to absolve him of wrongdoing, but ultimately, what it boils down to is the child-parent relationship,” he explained. “What Shep really wants more than anything is approval from his dad, and he wants his mom to be more honest with him than she’s ever been.”

Scharfman, who based the script loosely on unicorn mythology and the 15th-century unicorn tapestries, said the inspiration struck after rediscovering those images from childhood. “I always wanted the movie to feel like a reinterpretation of unicorn lore,” he explained. “The movie could be read as an adaptation of the tapestries.” He noted that because the order of the original panels is unknown, he felt free to play with structure and inject absurdist horror and biting satire into the framework.

As for tone, Scharfman admitted he was constantly calibrating. “As the movie progresses, the humor gets toned down, the scares get turned up, and the emotional throughline comes up a little bit,” he said. “It was all about grounding the comedy in character and conflict, so we didn’t diminish the stakes.”

While Scharfman may be a first-time director, Poulter said he immediately felt in good hands. “He’s super intelligent and really, really funny. That blend kind of translates to the script he wrote and the film he made,” he said. “We found ourselves laughing at the same things about Shep. That was a great place to start.”

Support independent movie journalism to keep it alive. Sign up for The Playlist Newsletter. All the content you want and, oh, right, it’s free.

Poulter also discussed his upcoming role in “Warfare,” the new A24 film co-directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza. Shot in the summer of 2024, the film follows a Navy SEAL unit and requires an intense physical boot camp. “‘Warfare was the most transformative and meaningful experience I’ve had,” Poulter said. “We were certainly pushed further than any of us had been as a group of actors. It was necessary—not just for the roles, but to represent the camaraderie and unification that comes from going through trying ordeals together.”

And yes, there was time to ask about Marvel. While Poulter’s Adam Warlock made his MCU debut in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” there are no official return plans. “I’ve got nothing for you,” Poulter said with a laugh. “I wish I could be like, ‘I’m coming back.’ I’ve got nothing. But if they call, I’m definitely picking up…or maybe I should just be calling them.” Asked about dream team-ups, Poulter pitched a crossover, saying he’d love to work with his friend Joseph Quinn, who plays Johnny Storm in the upcoming film, “I’d like to team up with Joe Quinn and the “Fantastic Four crew,” Poulter teased. “Which as I understand it, there is some potential like crossover there between Warlock and the Fantastic Four. And it would be cool to reunite with my buddy Joe Quinn. I think we’d have a blast together.”

The Playlist presents Will Poulter & Alex Scharfman’s Film/TV Recommendation Playlist:

Will Poulter: “Sing Sing” (2023), “Please Like Me,” “Colin from Accounts,” “Mr. Inbetween”

Alex Scharfman: “The Host” (2006), “The Exterminating Angel” (1962), “Creature from the Black Lagoon” (1954), “Rules of the Game” (1939), “The Abyss” (1989), “The Thing” (1982), “Evil Dead” (1981), “Jaws” (1975), “Alien” (1979), “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977)

“Death of a Unicorn” will be released by A24 exclusively in theaters on March 28th. Listen to the full interviews below:

The Discourse is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes The Playlist Podcast, Deep Focus, Bingeworthy, and more. We can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud,  and most places where podcasts are found. Be sure to subscribe and leave a comment or rating—we greatly appreciate your support!