Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for Death of a Unicorn!
Having initially escaped the brutal unicorn rampage, writer/director Alex Scharfman confirmsDeath of a Unicorn’s standout character is still alive. Following a father and daughter who inadvertently run over a unicorn foal and bring it to the family home of his wealthy science conglomerate boss, the movie saw the group all fighting to stay alive as the foal’s parents start killing everyone in an effort to get their child back. While most of the cast were definitively killed off in gruesome fashion, a few fates were left unclear afterDeath of a Unicorn’s cliffhanger ending.
Ahead of the movie’s release,ScreenRantinterviewedAlex Scharfman forDeath of a Unicornand discussed some of its bigger spoilers. When it came to the ending, the writer/director was asked directly whether standout character Griff, the Leopold family’s butler played by Anthony Carrigan, survived the film,to which he confirmed his survival and assured he’s “doing great”. Check out Scharfman’s comments below:
Oh, yeah, yeah. Griff is doing great. He was able to get that car out of there. He’s happy.
What Griff’s Survival Means For Death Of A Unicorn’s Ending
It May Actually Confirm Other Characters' Fates
After being killed and revived by the unicorns,Death of a Unicorn’s ending seesPaul Rudd’s Elliot and Jenna Ortega’s Ridleyarrested by the local police, suspected of having killed the Leopold family after the trio of magical creatures ran off into the forest. While being driven away and resting comfortably in the back of the police vehicle,the unicorns return and crash into the car, seemingly with the goal of helping Elliot and Ridley escape, though the film cuts to black just before the crash itself.
Griff, having previously escaped after opening the gate to the compound, did return intheDeath of a Unicornendingwith the police,and was last seen driving behind them when the trio of unicorns crashed into the police car. Given he wasn’t directly on their tail, it could have been argued that he wouldn’t have had a problem avoiding the crash, which may be how Scharfman envisions the character’s survival since he denotes that Carrigan’s character is able to keep the luxury car taken from the Leopolds' compound.
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However, if Griff was caught up in the crash, Scharfman’s confirmation of his survivalmay also confirm that Elliot and Ridley survived their crash inDeath of a Unicorn’s ending. The fact that the former was revived shortly before this moment does make it seem unlikely Scharfman would kill him a second time, particularly since he and Ridley had come full-circle on their strained relationship. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time an A24 horror movie has pulled the rug out from under the viewer for a devastating ending, but doesn’t seem to fit Scharfman’s intent.
Our Take On Griff’s Death Of A Unicorn Survival
He Deserves To Live
Death of a Unicorndelivered plenty of gruesome deaths, the majority of whom were well-deserved in their fates, but Griff certainly isn’t one who deserved to die. The mostly silent butler was one of the more hilarious characters, even with little dialogue, but also unfairly sent out to risk his life to open the compound’s gate, and was frequently mistreated by the Leopolds that he deserved to live and have a better life elsewhere.
Death of a Unicorn
Cast
Death of a Unicorn: Released in 2025, this fantasy drama follows a father and daughter who accidentally kill a unicorn on their way to a weekend retreat. Their discovery leads to a series of events involving the father’s billionaire boss, who aims to exploit the unicorn’s extraordinary healing abilities.
