Alpha

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2:11

Alpha

R

Mar 2026

2h 2m

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

102 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old lives with her single mom. Their world collapses the day she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm.

Critics Consensus

Strong performances and a visually striking finale notwithstanding, Alpha ultimately frustrates with its unwieldy structure and imbalanced blend of fantastical and realistic elements.

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Joey Shapiro

Chicago Reader

Apr 13

Even if the pieces that make up Alpha never quite fit together, it’s still extraordinary on a scene-by-scene basis.

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Tim Grierson

Los Angeles Times

Mar 30

As “Alpha” reaches its stylish, dreamlike ending, she hits upon an absorbing final image that suggests the collective sorrow and emotional devastation our recent plague years have wrought.

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Katie Rife

RogerEbert.com

Mar 27

1.5/4

At times, 'Alpha’ plays like a Cronenbergian after-school special, in which the visual metaphors are overplayed, and the drama is broadly sketched to teach a moral lesson.

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Jesse Hassenger

Polygon

6d

B+

Unlike so many horror filmmakers, Ducourneau doesn’t seem fixated on inherited trauma, so much as the ongoing trauma of living in an imperfect world with a deeply fallible body.

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Stephen A. Russell

Orion's Shoulder (Substack)

Apr 5

Again recasting body horror’s bones into something equally thrilling and frightening, Alpha is a suitably devastating parable of the AIDS crisis that also draws deep on Ducournau’s Amazigh heritage

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Jazzmin Crawley

Girl, That's Scary (Podcast)

Apr 4

Alpha is beautifully shot with great dialogue, however when time and reality unravel the film becomes a bit difficult to follow.

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Chris

Apr 13

Although a bit confusing at times, it’s beautiful, emotional, and gritty.

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Cary

Apr 2

So complex and moving! Terrific acting!

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Kyle

Apr 1

While not like the previous films of Julia Docournau in terms of its ambiguity, it is no less powerful in terms of emotional weight. Well shot, and interesting twist towards the end makes for a great emotionally heart wrenching film.

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Roy J

Apr 1

Can't believe a 2-time Palme d'Or winner made this. Boring, messy, and amateurish.

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Ghederick Eshmont

Mar 27

Julia Ducournau is amongst the world’s best filmmakers, though Alpha has some jagged edges & misfires, it’s still quite mesmerizing

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James

Mar 27

Interesting Story that goes to Lynch-land

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Julia Ducournau

Director

Emma Mackey

Infirmière

Golshifteh Farahani

Maman

Tahar Rahim

Amin

Finnegan Oldfield

Professeur d'anglais

Mélissa Boros

Alpha

Alpha: Exclusive Movie Clip - What Happens to You, Happens to Me

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Alpha: Trailer 1

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Alpha: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old lives with her single mom. Their world collapses the day she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm.

Director: Julia Ducournau
Producer: Éric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
Screenwriter: Julia Ducournau
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: Mandarin et Compagnie, Kallouche Cinéma, Frakas Productions
Rating: R (Language|Drug Content|Sexual Material|Some Underage Drinking)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 14, 2026
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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