The Last Unicorn (1982)

IMDb plot summary: A brave unicorn and a magician fight an evil king who is obsessed with attempting to capture the world's unicorns.
Directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. Starring Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, and Tammy Grimes.

This was... not at all what I expected. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It's a very simple story, but there's a beautifully melancholy undercurrent which I would never have expected in a children's fantasy. It's full of regret, bittersweet goodbyes, and a sense of complete isolation. I have no idea if I would have liked this as a kid, but as an adult, I found myself really gravitating to the darker themes of the story. The ending was tremendously satisfying, neither too depressing nor unrealistically saccharine. It's not perfect, but it was definitely a pleasant surprise.

3.5 stars.

Flickchart: #871 out of 2238, below John Dies at the End and above Choke.