THE UNICORN (2018)


When an engaged woman learns that her parents' secret to happiness is threesomes, she and her fiancé set out on a wild night of their own that exposes problems in their relationship.

It turns out that the search for a "unicorn" is a couple's search for the elusive third participant in a threesome. Not a person physically hiding, but the identification of someone that would be willing to join in on a ménage à trois. Not an issue for a couple that is at ease with their sexual nature, but for those of the more vanilla persuasion, a likely awkward scenario. This is where our main duo comes in.


Nicholas Rutherford and Lauren Lapkus (from Orange Is The New Black) play the protagonists, a long-term engaged couple who embody the awkwardness of a high school dance, but as Millennials in their 30's. Fish-out-of-water stories are always a joy to watch, and this is no exception. Observing these two adorable, quirky personalities (with minimal communication skills) on a little adventure to find a third wheel is delightfully cringe as we encounter a variety of differing personalities.

Lucy Hale (from Pretty Little Liars) plays a gorgeous, young spiritual, and sensual woman. Her effervescent energy and complete lack of boundaries is a veritable source of sexual tension and ambiguity. Beck Bennett portrays a jaded, bisexual, club owner who takes the couple under his wing.  Dree Hemingway plays the role of the "massage therapist" who frankly is the most ordinary character in the entire film.


The Unicorn has a lot of awkward humour as it heads toward the inevitable climax of the film. The only real downside--beyond the uninspired colour scheme--is the slow pacing. Everything simply takes far too long to happen, and scenes are dragged out for longer than necessary, surpassing the funny, awkward, and even cringe stage of a joke, into the latter tired joke stage.

There's not much else to say about The Unicorn. The genre of film does not lend itself towards neither exceptional cinematography (in fact, as the film takes place indoors at night for most of the film, it comes across rather dreary and poorly lit) nor awe-inspiring musical scores. It is simply a coming-of-age film for adults. 


Thematically the film tackles commitment issues and the effects of a lack of communication and transparency in relationships, which makes this an ideal romantic comedy for couples to enjoy.