Last Updated on 9 June 2026 by frenchflicks
Julia Ducournau, the visionary director who shook the cinematic world with her Palme d’Or winner Titane and the visceral coming-of-age horror Raw, is returning to North American screens. Her latest feature, Alpha is being released this March across America.
The Story: A Family Under the Skin
Set against the backdrop of a mysterious French city during the 1980s and 90s, Alpha follows 13-year-old Alpha (Mélissa Boros), a rebellious teenager living with her mother (Golshifteh Farahani), a doctor working on the frontlines of a terrifying new epidemic.
The tension ignites when Alpha returns home from a party with an amateur tattoo on her arm. In a world gripped by a blood-borne virus that causes the human body to gradually harden into marble, this small act of defiance sends her family into a tailspin of paranoia. The arrival of Alpha’s long-estranged uncle, Amin (Tahar Rahim)—a man haunted by addiction and the physical toll of the virus—forces the three of them into a cramped apartment where past traumas and future fears collide.
Where to Watch Alpha
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
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- New York
- North Carolina
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Why You Should See Alpha
Following its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Alpha marks a departure from the high-octane body horror of Ducournau’s previous works, leaning instead into a more intimate, atmospheric, and deeply emotional “ghost story” that remains true to her signature obsession with physical transformation.
While some critics have noted the film’s “messy” ambition, many others have hailed it as Ducournau’s most mature and “artful” work to date. Here is what makes Alpha a must-watch:
- A Powerhouse Cast: Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) underwent a staggering physical transformation for the role of Amin, losing significant weight to portray the skeletal, vulnerable uncle. Golshifteh Farahani delivers a soulful performance as a mother caught between her medical logic and maternal instincts.
- Visual Poetics: Working again with cinematographer Ruben Impens, Ducournau trades the neon-soaked metal of Titane for a gritty, handheld realism that occasionally breaks into surreal, Greek-tragedy-inspired imagery.
- A Unique Metaphor: The film uses its fictional “marble disease” as a poignant allegory for the AIDS crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring how fear and ostracization can be as contagious as any virus.
Critical Reception
The Wrap noted that while the rhythms take time to adjust to, “the resulting emotional payoff is more than worth your patience.” Meanwhile, Vulture highlighted Ducournau’s “genius for evocative imagery,” calling it a “striking” addition to her filmography.
“Alpha is as thorny as her previous two features, but there’s something lonely and longing here too.” — Little White Lies
US Release Details
NEON, the distributor that successfully brought Parasite and Anora to US audiences, is handling the rollout. Alpha will expand into arthouse theaters nationwide starting March 2026.
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