Quirkier than a box of unicorns.

While Brie Larson’s star continues to ascend following her Oscar win and billion dollar role as Captain Marvel, it’s good to see she’s keeping an eye on what makes her happy. She clearly has ambitions of a future behind the camera and, while Unicorn Store is certainly an odd choice for a directorial debut, you’ve got to admire the ambition.

Failing out of art school and failing her colourful life vision, Kit (Brie Larson) is forced to move back in with her parents and take a humdrum job as an office temp. Yet, just as she hits rock bottom, Kit is contacted by a mysterious Salesman (Samuel L. Jackson) who offers her the chance to fulfil her lifelong dream of owning a unicorn. But is this unicorn actually real? And, if so, will it be the answer to all her problems?

Oddball is probably the best way to describe the film’s setup, but for something called Unicorn Store, I’m not sure what else you’d expect. Weirdly, with a couple of tweaks, the whole off-kilter concept could easily end up as a horror movie, yet what we have is a film stuffed with enough colour and glitter to blind someone, backed up with a loveable central performance and enough heart to avert a potential full-blown whimsical meltdown.

It’s quirky, for sure. Sometimes painfully so. But it follows through with its dream chasing message well and, while the plot goes exactly where you expect it to, it’s heartwarming, universal themes are enough to keep things interesting.

The entire unicorn side of the narrative feels a little too forced at times and, despite the fun inherent in seeing Sam Jackson decked out in a pink suit and hair glitter, it often feels out of step with what is a rather poignant, grounded story of loneliness and depression. The balance between outlandish quirk and downbeat indie is a tough one to pull off, yet, despite a few wobbles, Unicorn Store just about pulls it off.

What really sells the story, however, is the magnetic performance of Brie Larson. This is clearly something of a passion project for her and, while she’s clearly destined for bigger things, it’s refreshing to see such a huge star give her all for an indie oddity like this. What could’ve been an intensely annoying character is turned into a wholly sympathetic one largely through Larson’s endearing performance, which manages to lift the film above even its worst idiosyncratic traits.

Seemingly filmed during a sugar-fuelled coffee break on the Captain Marvel shoot, Unicorn Store sees Brie Larson showcase the kind of quirky charm that has got her to this point, yet may go missing as her roles get bigger and bigger. As a directorial debut, this might be an odd place to start, yet the film showcases bundles of promise for her filmmaking future. Stuffed full of colour, Unicorn Store is far too knowingly quirky at times, but pulls off its bizarre concept through a huge helping of heart and a central performance that will remind everyone of just what a glittering talent Brie Larson is.