Death of a Unicorn (in theaters)

Unicorns are getting their day in the darkness.

They’re the menacing monsters hungry for blood in “Death of a Unicorn,” the new horror comedy from A24. Half satire of the rich, half monster revenge movie, it’s a hoot for anyone who wishes unicorns got more respect or wants to see rich people gored to death. Though it’s not perfect – there are some balance issues, as well as big gaps in the monster lore – a handful of great performances add to the movie magic.

The movie starts with the titular death, done by a lawyer (Paul Rudd) who accidentally hits the unicorn with his car. His daughter (Jenna Ortega) connects with the unicorn just before her dad finishes it off for good, and they put the body in the back of their car as they finish their drive to a rich client’s compound. The rich client, dying of cancer, wants the corpse when he realizes unicorn blood heals.

Then the unicorn’s very big, very scary parents come looking for their kid.

Ortega anchors the movie, offering up what lore there is and giving audiences someone with actual empathy to connect to. Will Poulter is the MVP of the rich people in the movie, deeply shallow and absolutely hilarious at the same moment. Rudd’s natural charm is the only thing that saves his character from being completely irredeemable.

Though being irredeemable isn’t a bad thing in this movie. After all, the unicorns need people to play with.

Grade: Three stars

Plankton: The Movie (Netflix)

If only relationship problems were always this entertaining.

If you’re at all familiar with the undersea world of SpongeBob, you’ll already know the diminutive villain Plankton and his computer wife Karen. The duo get their day in the spotlight in “Plankton: The Movie,” part of a new series of “SpongeBob SquarePants” spinoff movies. It’s a treasure trove for anyone who’s ever wanted to learn more about their relationship, or who likes it when Plankton is forced to be good against his will. Though the computer animation will be a disappointment to classic fans of the series, there’s a chaotic energy to the adventure that ends up being a ton of fun.

In the movie, Karen asks Plankton if they can try scheming about something other than the Krabby Patty secret recipe. When he dismisses the idea, Karen decides to take over the world on her own and does a great job of it. As a result, Plankton is forced to team up with SpongeBob to save the city and maybe even convince his computer wife to come home.

“Plankton” is one of the best SpongeBob productions in recent years, in large part because it keeps a lot of the energy of the original show. The computer animated style of the movie is standard for all new SpongeBob properties, and it’s not nearly as good as the classic 2D animation of the original show. But “Plankton: The Movie” charmingly shakes up the animation style more than once, playing with different types to match whatever’s happening onscreen.

It’s a little bit of animated fun, perfect for a trip under the sea.

Grade: Two and a half stars

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Drop her a line at [email protected].