Review of I Believe in Unicorns (2015) by Julia C — 18 Jul 2015

Davina's reality has become so oppressive that she is desperate to escape it. When she first notices a rebellious, but somehow sweet boy at the skateboard she discovers an escape far more "real" than her imagination.

Leah Meyerhoff's feature length debut is fills the screen with a teenage girl's wistful daydreams, creativity and yearnings. When the camera adjusts to depict this young woman's reality, it pulls us into a challenging situation of child on the verge of adulthood.

The road toward sexuality and first love is particularly bumpy. Despite warning signs, Davina can't help but fall into the adventure and escape promised by this young man. It isn't long before her lover's potentially violent nature begins to interrupt the bliss.

The potential dangerous elements of first love begin to twist her innocent imagination into a far darker space of rage and eroticism. Leah Meyerhoff's film sometimes verges a bit too far into what feels like Michel Gondry "quirkiness," but still finds its own voice.

The movie is masterful and applies a whole new spin to the all too familiar "coming of age" genre. "I Believe in Unicorns" soars where most films sink.