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Myth Congeniality

Brie Larson's directorial debut "Unicorn Store" is a fantastical look at the future unknown and an examination of oneself when you are ready to run forward but are stuck standing still. It's a frustrating time in anyone's life, no matter what age or stage you are at, but for the twenty-something protagonist, who is ready to express herself through her art, standing still can be life-altering.

Kit (Larson, "Captain Marvel") has recently been thrown out of art school, as her work isn't what her instructors are looking for. She is forced to move back in with her parents (Bradley Whitford, "Get Out" and Joan Cusack, "Popstar"), who are beacons of optimism, constantly sparring with Kit's pessimism. They just can't seem to understand why Kit is constantly in such a bad mood, lying around on the couch all day in front of the television in her pajamas.

But there's hope! Kit finally realizes it's time to get up off the couch and get a job, and she begins working at a PR agency. She trades her paint brushes for business attire and attempts to tackle the working world with a positivity that has recently been absent from her vocabulary. On her way to work, and in her new office, Kit starts receiving mysterious invitations to "The Store." She initially ignores them, but ultimately curiosity prevails. At The Store, she meets The Salesman (Samuel L. Jackson in a wonderfully weird supporting turn), who offers her a chance to own a unicorn, should she complete a few tasks to prove her worth.

As you can imagine from the description, Samantha McIntyre's script is a heavy dose of whimsy. It leans a bit too heavily on its central metaphor as the movie progresses, but Larson's use of colors shows promise as a filmmaker. The way she juxtaposes the cotton candy aesthetics of Kit's art with the sterile environment of the PR office shows what a visual storyteller Larson is and what more she can do with future projects.

Even in its flimsiest moments, "Unicorn Store" is punctuated with an infectious sweetness, particularly when Kit befriends Virgil (Mamoudou Athie), who helps her with a task that needs to be completed before receiving her unicorn. For a first film, Larson doesn't aim for perfection, which suits a narrative that's all about imperfection and not knowing what's next. Sometimes a movie doesn't have to work on every technical level to become worthy of a recommendation, and its story and message is what's worth praising. Many people will identify with Kit's journey, especially those pursuing careers in creative fields, and "Unicorn Store" will hit at just the right time.