Thelma the Unicorn was released on Netflix on May 17, 2024, and produced by Netflix Animation. The film received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Plot
Thelma is a small farm pony who dreams of becoming a famous musician alongside her band mates Otis the donkey and Reggie the llama, who form a band called The Rusty Buckets. After humiliating herself at an audition that would have guaranteed them a spot in the singing showcase event SparklePalooza, a clumsy truck driver accidentally drenches Thelma, while wearing a carrot on her forehead, in glitter and pink paint, giving her the appearance of a unicorn. Her appearance attracts a small crowd to her farm, and she seizes this opportunity to sing in front of them. Despite Otis' objections of lying to people in favor of performing as their true selves, Thelma decides to stick with her facade.
A blind retired record dealer named Peggy Purvis, after hearing The Rusty Buckets on TV, decides to make them her new comeback attraction. Soon, Thelma gains the attention of a snooty manager named Vic Diamond, who works for the arrogant singer, Nikki Narwhal. Vic contacts Peggy and after some arm-twisting, convinces her to make Thelma an opening attraction at Nikki's new concert. Reluctantly, Peggy agrees and when they go to rendezvous with Vic, the latter uses a missile to destroy a limo carrying Peggy, her husband Gerald, Otis and Reggie while he and Thelma go on without them.
At Nikki's show, when her friends fail to make it in time, Thelma is forced to sing solo, where she receives a standing ovation from the crowd. Vic makes her sign a contract to make him her manager, which also allows him to leave Nikki. Outraged over being upstaged, Nikki attempts to attack Thelma, but is booed by the audience, causing her fame to plummet. Outside while walking through a crowd of fans, Thelma meets Otis and the two have an argument about him and the rest of her friends' not being at the show. Thelma reveals her secret to Vic, but he doesn't care, claiming that putting on a facade is the only way to succeed in the industry. Vic convinces Thelma to pretend dating internet star Danny Stallion to increase her fame. Meanwhile, Nikki orders her assistant, Megan Shank, to find some dirt on Thelma in order to ruin her image.
Eventually, Vic manages to book Thelma a spot on SparklePalooza. However, during an awards ceremony that Thelma is attending, Megan, after discovering her "horn" coming loose, confronts Thelma in the bathroom, washes off her unicorn disguise and threatens to reveal her deception unless she permanently quits the music business. Reluctantly, Thelma agrees and leaves, causing her to be declared missing. Two weeks later, Thelma hitches a ride with the driver who instigated her unicorn disguise and reveals that he's been hiding a secret from his girlfriend, as he feels that she wouldn't accept him for who he is. Inspired, Thelma tells the driver to drop her off at a gas station where she reunites with her friends.
Wanting to fix things, Thelma and her friends go to SparklePalooza just as Nikki is about to go on. After evading Nikki and Megan, Thelma dons her unicorn persona and proceeds to reveal her true self by wiping off her disguise. Although outraged at first, the crowd soon accepts Thelma for who she is when she and her friends play a song about embracing one's true self. Touched by her performance, a reformed Nikki rejects both Megan and Vic as her clients.
Sometime later, Thelma and her friends are still in the music business, now under a record deal made by Peggy. Suddenly, the driver arrives and accidentally drenches Otis in white paint and feathers, giving him the appearance of a pegasus making Thelma burst out with laughter.
In June 2019, it was announced that Netflix acquired the film rights to Aaron Blabey's children's book Thelma the Unicorn after a bidding war, and was developing an animated musical adaptation. It would be directed by Jared Hess (who wrote the script with his wife Jerusha) and Lynn Wang with Blabey serving as an executive producer alongside Patrick Hughes.[4][5]Pam Coats was announced to produce the film in April 2023.[6]Mikros Animation provided the animation.[7]
Despite being uncredited in the film's ensemble voice cast as Nikki Narwhal's singing voice, Baraka May recorded an original song "Blubber Trouble" for both the film and its soundtrack.
In December 2023, John Powell was confirmed to compose the film's score, beginning work the same month.[9]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album, Thelma the Unicorn: Soundtrack from the Netflix Film, is produced by Mike Elizondo. It was released alongside the film's premiere on May 17.
"Here Comes The Cud" (performed by Fred Armisen and Howard)
Elizondo
Powell
2:33
8.
"Only Unicorn" (performed by Howard)
Elizondo
Powell
2:16
9.
"Just As You Are" (performed by Howard)
Elizondo
Powell
3:26
10.
"Goldmine" (performed by Howard)
Elizondo
Powell
3:55
11.
"Diners and Carrots"
Elizondo
Powell
3:24
12.
"Becoming a Unicorn"
Elizondo
Powell
1:03
13.
"They Liked Our Music"
Elizondo
Powell
1:37
14.
"Red Carpet"
Elizondo
Powell
2:36
15.
"Schemes and Fantasies"
Elizondo
Powell
2:53
16.
"Blackmail Loo"
Elizondo
Powell
2:30
17.
"Thelma Missing"
Elizondo
Powell
2:02
18.
"Rescue & Coming Clean"
Elizondo
Powell
2:13
19.
"Resolutions"
Elizondo
Powell
2:02
Total length:
45:48
Release
Thelma the Unicorn was released on Netflix on May 17, 2024.[10][8]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10.[11]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 64 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]
