Alpha (2025 film)
| Alpha | |
|---|---|
French theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Julia Ducournau |
| Written by | Julia Ducournau |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Ruben Impens |
| Edited by | Jean-Christophe Bouzy |
| Music by | Jim Williams |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Diaphana Distribution (France)[3] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 128 minutes |
| Countries | |
| Language | French |
Alpha is a 2025 body horror drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau. The film stars Tahar Rahim, Golshifteh Farahani, Mélissa Boros, Emma Mackey, Finnegan Oldfield, and Louai El Amrousy. It follows a teen girl who, after returning from school with a tattoo, is feared to have contracted a new lethal bloodborne disease.
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 19 May,[4] and will be theatrically released in France by Diaphana Distribution on 20 August 2025.
Synopsis
Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old lives with her single mother, amid the context of a strange new bloodborne disease which slowly turns its sufferers to marble. Their world collapses the day Alpha returns from school with a tattoo on her arm, leading her mother to fear that she has contracted the disease herself.[5]
Cast
- Mélissa Boros as Alpha
- Ambrine Trigo Ouaked as 5-year-old Alpha
- Golshifteh Farahani as Maman
- Tahar Rahim as Amin
- Emma Mackey as Infirmière
- Finnegan Oldfield as Professeur d'anglais
- Louai El Amrousy as Adrien
- Jean-Charles Clichet
- Christophe Perez
Production
The film has been described by distributors FilmNation Entertainment and Charades as writer/director Julia Ducournau's "most personal, profound work".[6]
Principal photography took place in Le Havre in September and October 2024.[7][8] From 23–24 October onwards, a public swimming pool in Pont-Audemer was used as a filming location, chosen for its 1980s appearance.[9] 35 days were spent filming in Normandy,[2] followed by continued filming in Paris into November.[10][8] Alpha stars Golshifteh Farahani and Tahar Rahim. Rahim lost 20 kilograms for his role.[11][12]
The fictitious disease featured in the film has been analyzed by most critics as an allegory for HIV/AIDS, with the plot reflecting the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.[5]
Release
Neon bought North American distribution rights at the Marché du Film of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, after previously distributing Ducournau's previous film Titane (2021).[13] The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 19 May 2025.[14][15] The film will be distributed by Mubi in Latin America and India, and Curzon Film in the United Kingdom and Ireland.[16]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 50% of 38 critics' reviews are positive.[17] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 47 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[18]
David Ehrlich of Indiewire called the film "dismal" and Ducournau's "first unambiguous misfire," and Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian wrote in a one-star review that "the madly, bafflingly overwrought and humourless storytelling can’t overcome the fact that everything [in the film] is frankly unpersuasive and tedious."[19][20] However, in a more positive review, Radhika Seth of Vogue stated that the film "feels destined to become a cult classic," and praised the performances of Boros, Farahani, and Rahim.[21]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 24 May 2025 | Palme d'Or | Julia Ducournau | Nominated | [22] |
| Queer Palm | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Moss, Emily. "'Titane' director Julia Ducournau lines up 'Alpha'; Charades, FilmNation board sales". Screen. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Alpha". Normandie Images. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ a b c "ALPHA". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (3 May 2024). "'Alpha,' New Film From 'Titane' Director, Heading to Cannes Market". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ a b Lee Marshall, "‘Alpha’ review: Julia Ducournau's ‘Titane’ follow-up is set against a mysterious French plague". Screen Daily, May 19, 2025.
- ^ Lang, Brent (3 May 2024). "'Titane' Director Julia Ducournau's Next Project to Star Golshifteh Farahani, Tahar Rahim; FilmNation and Charades Launching Sales". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "AwardsWatch - NEON Nabs North American Rights to Julia Ducournau's 'Alpha'". AwardsWatch. 14 May 2024. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Le prochain film de Julia Ducournau avec Tahar Rahim en plein tournage au Havre". actu.fr (in French). 16 October 2024. Archived from the original on 29 October 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "À Pont-Audemer, un film tourné à la piscine par une réalisatrice de la Palme d'or à Cannes". actu.fr (in French). 29 October 2024. Archived from the original on 29 October 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ "Le Havre. Envie de jouer dans le prochain film de Julia Ducournau, palme d'or à Cannes ?". actu.fr (in French). 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ AlloCine (30 October 2024). "Pourquoi Tahar Rahim a perdu beaucoup de poids ? Ce n'est pas pour Monsieur Aznavour, mais pour un autre rôle mystérieux !". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (20 May 2025). "Tahar Rahim on Metamorphosing and Shedding 44 Pounds for Julia Ducournau's 'Alpha': 'That State of Deprivation Transports You in a Spiritual Dimension' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ Donnelly, Matt (14 May 2024). "Julia Ducournau's New Film 'Alpha' Nabbed by Neon for North America". Variety. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa; Shafer, Ellise (10 April 2025). "Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2025 Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 78th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ Leffler, Rebecca (22 May 2025). "Mubi picks up Julia Ducournau's Cannes Competition film 'Alpha' for Latin America and India amid worldwide sales sweep". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "Alpha". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Alpha". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ^ Ehrlich, David (19 May 2025). "'Alpha' Review: 'Titane' Director Julia Ducournau Adopts a More Grounded Form of Body Horror for This Dour and Dismal AIDS Allegory". Indiewire. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (19 May 2025). "Alpha review – Julia Ducournau's disjointed body horror is an absolute gamma". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ Seth, Radhika (21 May 2025). "Julia Ducournau's Alpha Feels Destined to Become a Cult Classic". Vogue. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ "The films of the Official Selection 2025". Festival de Cannes. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.