One of the highlights of Captain Marvel was the effortless buddy chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. But for those who can’t wait until Avengers: Infinity War to see the dynamic duo reunite, rest easy. Jackson makes an appearance in Larson’s directorial debut Unicorn Store, playing what seems to be the opposite of Nick Fury.
Unicorn Store centers on Kit (Larson), an art school student who was just kicked out of her program. Kit reluctantly moves back in with her parents (Bradley Whitford and Joan Cusack) and takes a soul-crushing temp job in a bland office. Until one day, she gets a mysterious multi-colored invitation to “the store”, where she meets The Salesman (Jackson) who offers to sell her the one thing she’s always wanted: a unicorn. But to get said unicorn, Kit must prove that she has what it takes to care for the mythical beast.
From there, Kit sets about building a unicorn stable, much to the chagrin of her family and friend who think she’s lost her mind. From the trailers, Unicorn Store appears to be a fable about a young woman who doesn’t want to lose her sense of fantasy and inspiration. We see her multi-colored glittery Lisa Frank-style world pitted against the boring beige of real life, which has no time for fantasy.
I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stories, and while we have myriad examples of the “man-child who needs to grow up” movie (see anything by Judd Apatow), women are rarely afforded the same narrative. Society indulges and celebrates men who dress, sound, and act like boys, while women are expected to be the adults in the room. In the trailer Kit says, “I don’t know how to be a grown up, my parents think that I’m insane.”
Eventually, Kit must learn to love herself and believe in her dreams. As her mother says, “the most grown up thing you can do is fail at things you really care about.” The film, which was written by Samantha McIntyre (People of Earth), originally had Rebel Wilson attached with Miguel Arteta (Cedar Rapids) set to direct. Brie Larson came aboard in 2016, and the film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2017.
So why did it take two years to get distribution? It’s likely thanks to Larson’s rise to A-list stardom as Captain Marvel which drew distributors to the project. Nevertheless, we’re excited to see Larson’s directorial debut. More female directors directing things!
Unicorn Store premieres on Netflix on April 5th.
(via io9, image: screencap)
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