Unicorns Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Unicorns Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 10, 2025

There's a brief location shot of a pale rainbow hovering over a sylvan landscape part way through Unicorns, and that may provide a not so subliminal visual allusion to the fact that this particular "star crossed romance" is between an (apparently?) straight guy and a drag queen he meets during a drag performance, mistakenly thinking the character is a woman. That brief summary may almost inherently invite comparisons to The Crying Game, though there is not the same kind of political subtext in this outing, and in fact the whole romantic trajectory of the central relationship is the main focus rather than a daring subplot. The very setup with an initial mistaken identity leading to all sorts of subsequent identity issues for its mismatched pair might almost suggest Unicorns is some kind of bizarre romcom. And in fact once Luke (Ben Hardy), a character who is seen engaging in pretty enthusiastic heterosexual behavior (out in a field, no less) as the film opens, becomes a chauffeur of sorts for drag queen Aysha, alter ego of Ashiq (Jason Patel), there's some almost To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar adjacent material with a whole cohort of (in this case, British South Asian and/or Indian, here called "Gaysian") drag queens. In actual fact, though, the film is an unavoidably provocative drama that focuses on questions of identity, both sexual and what might be termed cultural, something that's especially evident in a sidebar subplot involving Ashiq's conservative Muslim family, who don't initially know about Ashiq's secret life as Aysha.

This is a story that frankly relies on a somewhat precarious suspension of disbelief, since aside from Luke being transfixed by the dance performance that introduces him to Aysha, there's absolutely no hint that Luke has any questions about his sexual preference. And indeed after he kisses Aysha but then realizes his "mistake" in terms of Aysha's actual gender, he's understandably shaken. The film perhaps attempts to skirt (no apparel pun intended) this issue by having Luke be a single father in need of bucks and Aysha one of a crowd of drag queens needing a driver, which then of course puts the two together in close quarters.

All of that material is rather refreshingly handled, but there's perhaps a too overwrought hand played later in the film both with regard to Ashiq's disapproving family and especially with regard to a late attack that kind of pushes the film into arguably perilous territory that completely shifts the focus to external appearance rather than any interior emotional realities. This is an interesting effort from a variety of angles nonetheless, and marks a commendable collaboration between writer and co-director James Krishna Floyd and co-director Sally El Hosaini. If Ben Hardy is the perceived marquee attraction here, it's arguably Jason Patel who walks (dances?) away with the film quite easily.

Unicorns Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Unicorns is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Media Group's Contemporary Classics imprint with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The closing credits roll list the Arri camera, and an internet search disclosed the Arri Alexa Mini LF, if search results are to be believed. This is an appealing sharp and well detailed looking presentation, and there's some especially colorful lighting employed in the club scenes in particular, where things can have an almost Bava-esque sense of deeply saturated hues. The bulk of the film, though, really has a more naturalistic look, and both interior and (quite a few) exterior scenes offer consistently commendable fine detail levels and similarly great looking palette.

Unicorns Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unicorns features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. The surround track noticeably opens up all of the musical elements, which include both Aysha's performances (as well as others), along with a nice assortment of probably mostly new to many listeners source cues which dot the soundtrack. A number of outdoor scenes can also offer good engagement of the side and rear channels for ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Unicorns Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:10)

Unicorns Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There may be a central stumbling block in Unicorns since Luke's sudden questioning of his sexual identity is, well, sudden. Otherwise, though, the film has some really provocative and ultimately quite moving content, and Jason Patel is a real standout in his debut feature film performance. Technical merits are solid and for those willing to delve into this kind of "star crossed romance", Unicorns comes Recommended.