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The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn

There's magic in believing!

198292 minGMidcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Directors
Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
Starring
Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Tammy Grimes, Jeff Bridges

A unicorn learns from a riddle-speaking butterfly that she is supposedly the last of her kind, all the others having been herded away by the monstrous Red Bull. The unicorn sets out to discover the truth behind the butterfly's words. She is eventually joined on her quest by Schmendrick, a second-rate magician, and Molly Grue, a middle-aged woman who dreamed all her life of seeing a unicorn. Their journey leads them far from home, all the way to the castle of King Haggard.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Last Unicorn?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Last Unicorn streaming on Prime Video, Shout! TV via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Last Unicorn?

The Last Unicorn earns 7 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 10% of films.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Last Unicorn worth watching?

The Last Unicorn's Midcredits score is the 90th percentile of all films, from 154K ratings across 6 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

90th percentile

Better received than 90% of films

85th percentile among Animation91st percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)90th
Approval (how many liked it)87th

74 /100

90th percentile of all films

86th percentile among Animation93rd percentile among 1980s

Critics 70 · Audience 75

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.7 — solid but not unanimous.

77% liked it

87th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Animation88th percentile among 1980s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Critics 75% · Audience 86%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

95th percentile

154K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Animation94th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3.5M
Opening weekend$2.3M
Domestic gross$6.5M
Worldwide gross$6.5M

Returned 1.8× its budget — 56th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film has a melancholy, serious tone that sets it apart from standard kids' fare, with strong thematic depth but imperfect animation.

Fans praised

  • Richer, more adult themes than typical children's animation, tackling mortality, regret, and identity
  • Faithful adaptation of the novel, with author-written screenplay preserving the story's spirit
  • Hauntingly beautiful animation style and lush, storybook backgrounds

Detractors panned

  • Stiff, jerky character animation and dated visual quality
  • Poor musical numbers, off-key vocals and songs that halt narrative momentum
  • Inconsistent pacing, with sluggish stretches and rushed resolution

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 17 points higher than men.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 20 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 24 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Last Unicorn like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicContemplativeBittersweetHopeful
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
Dreamlike · 2% of films: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is a sincere, earnest fairy tale played straight, with its melancholy and wonder meant to be taken seriously.
The rideThe film maintains a quiet, wistful tone throughout, with the emotional climax and farewell carrying the heaviest weight.
StructureA conventional, chronologically told quest: the unicorn sets out, gathers companions, confronts the threat and returns home.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe unicorn's sacrifice for her kind, at the cost of her love and her first taste of mortality, leaves a gentle ache of regret and longing.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe unicorn leaves her enchanted forest to find the other unicorns who were herded away by the Red Bull, and freeing them drives the whole journey to King Haggard's castle.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsFreedom · 5% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe unicorn's journey forces her to confront what she truly is, even as she is transformed and risks losing herself.
StanceThe film affirms the value of identity and the beauty of sacrifice and love, even as it acknowledges mortality and loss.

The world

TimelessWildernessRuralInstitutionalFantasy
Orchestral classicalFolkForeground music · original score · Jimmy Webb
Settinga timeless magical forest, farmlands, King Haggard's coastal castle
MusicThe score features a memorable title song performed by the band America, adding to the film's wistful, fairy-tale atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Last Unicorn okay for kids?

G

The Last Unicorn is rated G. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (48/100), sexual content at moderate (39/100), language at mild (28/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (28/100) and frightening material at intense (62/100). Overall it is heavier than 87% of G-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UKU
  • AustraliaG
  • Germany6
  • FranceU
  • IrelandG
  • BrazilL
  • GreeceK
  • NetherlandsAL
  • SK7
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 36% of all filmsHeavier than 87% of G-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a G-rated film
heavier than 85%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a G-rated film
heavier than 89%
Profanity
Mild
heavy for a G-rated film
heavier than 80%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a G-rated film
heavier than 62%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a G-rated film
heavier than 90%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Last Unicorn have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Last Unicorn?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Mia Farrow
as Unicorn
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Alan Arkin
as Schmendrick
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Tammy Grimes
as Molly Grue
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jeff Bridges
as Prince Lir
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Christopher Lee
as King Haggard
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Angela Lansbury
as Mommy Fortuna
Robert Klein
as The Butterfly
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Keenan Wynn
as Captain Cully
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Paul Frees
as Mabruk
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Rene Auberjonois
as The Skull

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Last Unicorn?

Movies like The Last Unicorn include The King and the Mockingbird (1980), Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973) and Maleficent (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in a fictional world, and several are stories about princes.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: fairy tale. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Last Unicorn?

567 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: fairy tale. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.