Spoiler Alert
Frankie’s got a horn in Sunburnt Unicorn, and he doesn’t know how to use it. That’s because it may well be a car part embedded on his forehead after an accident has stranded him and his dad in a desert. As. for whether the fever dream that comes from being in the dry world for too long is real or not, I’m enjoying the concept! Here, the fauna identifies him as a saviour. Amusingly enough, I can imagine voice actress Diana Kaarina actually wearing a facsimile during recording.
This boy has issues. He’s not thrilled with the fact he’s going to a new school. Based on what I got from the argument they had preceding the crash, this lad was voicing his dissatisfaction. And with both their eyes off the road, just what he’s dealing with is a rather surreal parable concerning why it’s best not to behave; each talking critter he meets represents an aspect of himself, and what he learns to change his and their attitude makes for an interesting film.
This movie is something I’d expect from a Studio Laika film, and writer/director Nick Johnson may well have been inspired by the earlier works, like Coraline. Just where his movie goes is a wonderful meditation about the self. Frankie needs it as much as Luke Skywalker, realising his destiny, and has to confront the evil Emperor.
Although the turtle comes through as very sage-like, that visual reminder (what’s what the car struck) isn’t as bad as some may think. There are also some other rich characters, like Tabitha St. Germain who get to imbue each Kit Fox pup a personality. To note, Tortoise (Kathleen Barr) is quite the character and I’m surprised at how long she managed to survive, when considering the circumstances of her being split in half!
They feel like characters belonging to a world that has put the surreal elements from both Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland into a melting pot. As a result, combination of themes and the bold showdown with a giant plant who claims this world as his domain works!
What’s beautiful about Sunburnt Unicorn is that it’s an effective coming of age tale. Eventually, this child will have to come to take care of the parent, and the fact he won’t give up on finding his dad in this unforgiving desert says something. Although I’m uncertain where in the world this tale takes place due to him finding Greco-Roman statues in the middle of nowhere, I doubt the setting is outside of Cairo, where The Philosophers Circle is located. I’m sure there’s a lot of meaning packed into this moment, and to understand it all, this film is on my must-buy on home video just to enjoy this director’s commentaries and anything else that may get packed with!
4 Stars out of 5
Sunburnt Unicorn Trailer
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