‘Alpha’ Review – Julia Ducournau’s Deep Dive Into Addiction And Disease

When you hear the words “body horror,” what do you think of? Maybe any number of David Cronenberg films, or even Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (2024). Oftentimes, the greats of this genre, like Cronenberg and Fargeat, come from outside the United States due to foreign audiences being a bit more receptive and accepting of films that push visual and creative boundaries. Fargeat’s French peer, Julia Ducournau, has been an up-and-comer in the genre for the past decade, and just released her third feature film in Alpha. The film premiered last year at Cannes and is making its rounds in the U.S. over the coming weeks.

Alpha follows Alpha (Melissa Boros) and her mother (Golshifteh Farahani) through two timelines, switching back and forth every few scenes, as they encounter a blood-borne disease that turns people into marble. In the present, Alpha is potentially exposed to the disease after receiving a drug-induced stick and poke tattoo at a party, while in the past, her mother is a doctor dealing with patients who have contracted the illness. 

The film is rich with metaphor and explores incredibly heavy themes, with the clearest comparison being the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s. While this aspect of the story is played with a pretty heavy hand, it’s effective nonetheless and shows off incredible makeup design with each person who has the disease. The blend of flesh and marble is an outstanding achievement.

While the illness looms large over all parts of the film, the more engaging narrative beats come from Alpha’s relationships with her classmates and her uncle Amin (Tahar Rahim). The way Alpha is treated by people at school is reminiscent of The Plague, without all the gaslighting and initial myth of the plague. Uneducated classmates are unsure of how to treat Alpha after seeing her bleed from her new tattoo and are undoubtedly aware of her drug use in some way. This bullying only further isolates her as she’s stressed about the results of her bloodwork. 

Rahim’s performance as Amin is by far the standout of the film, and his chemistry with Boros only grows as the film presses on. After battling drug addiction for most of his life, as displayed in both timelines, he comes home to stay with Alpha and her mother as he tries to get clean. Skinny and shaky, Rahim puts together a full-bodied performance that is incredibly empathetic. 

Writer-director Ducournau attempts to tackle a lot of issues with Alpha. Bullying, addiction, and an overwhelming disease epidemic are just touching the surface of what she’s exploring, but none of the topics quite get the spotlight they deserve. The script’s narrative complexities lead to both a personal and a broad scope, neither of which finds a chance to fully materialize. I wanted just a little more from each element and would have gladly welcomed a longer runtime to expand on them to see them through. 

Ruben Impens’ cinematography is certainly a highlight throughout the film, creating understated, beautiful images through the use of lighting and color. There are no illustrious wide landscapes to be found here, but the work to make the more ordinary feel magical is just as impressive. 

Ducournau’s junior feature Alpha is a solidly constructed, if overstuffed, film looking at what a disease outbreak might look like if the symptoms were shown more outwardly, and the ramifications that has on individuals like Alpha and broadly how the public responds to those with the disease. There are some really powerful moments delivered between Boros and Rahim that drive home the need for support and love in times like this. It may not be the most polished of Ducournau’s works, but there is certainly enough beneath the surface to warrant repeat viewings to digest every last detail.

Alpha will debut in select theaters on March 27, 2026, courtesy of NEON. The film will continue to expand over the coming weeks.