Film Friday: Unicorn Store

Spoiler warning: The following contains spoilers for Unicorn Store, which is streaming on Netflix as of the time of this post.

After being disappointed by Rim of the World last week, I decided to go with another Netflix original that had been on my list for some time—Unicorn Store. It was the directorial debut of Brie Larson (Academy Award Winner for Room; Captain Marvel), and as you can see from the trailer, I was drawn in by the absurdity of the premise. Right or wrong, I’m always drawn to absurdity. Unicorn Store is a fun movie with a good message, but frequent tonal inconsistencies keep the movie from reaching its potential.

Unicorn Store’s starts with Brie Larson’s Kit failing out of art school for being too colorful and bright, and moving back home to live in her parents’ basement. Kit is dealing with the realization that her dreams aren’t working out, and she gets a temp job in an office to prove she isn’t a disappointment to her parents. While at this job, Kit receives a series of colorful letters to go to The Store. When she arrives she finds out she is given the opportunity to own her own unicorn, as explained to her by the shop owner, Samuel L. Jackson (every movie ever). The rest of the movie shows Kit struggling to find out her purpose, make herself worthy of a unicorn, and deal with parents, a job, and a romantic interest to varying degrees.

There is a lot to like in the movie. First and foremost, I love the color palette. It isn’t subtle in its choices or its message—the freedom of Kit’s wardrobe and the titular Unicorn Store is contrasted sharply with the dark grays of the corporate office. It works with the message of the film—love yourself no matter the trials and tribulations of life and do not conform to external standards nor let others define success for you. Millennials are often chastised for refusing to grow up, which has been covered for its stupidity in countless articles. I appreciate a movie with the message that it’s OK to continue to be yourself and love what you love. Growing old is inevitable; growing up isn’t.

For all of that positivity, the tone in the movie varies wildly. The scenes at the office feel like a workplace comedy showing the banal frustrations of work for the most part. Kit also has a boss that comes on to her in what might be considered inappropriate for the workplace, but we’re never given any idea of how Kit feels about this. It gives more confusion than anything else and takes away from the flow the movie tries to find. Perhaps the biggest issue, though I don’t think I’ve ever thought this about a movie before, is Samuel L. Jackson as the shop owner. Mr. Jackson has built a career off being big, strong, and bombastic in his films. He steals every scene he is in by virtue of being himself, and unfortunately I think the role of the mysterious store owner would be better served by a lesser known actor who wouldn’t steal the scenes and give questions to the audience that are ultimately unanswered and unnecessary. 

Unicorn Store is worth a watch. Its benefits outweigh its inconsistencies. While I wanted it to be more, there is nothing wrong with a movie being just fine.